Yeah I'm back, to put it bluntly I had a wicked case of writers block, I'd flip on the page, write a few words, say that sucked, delete the work, repeat multiple time over several months, but finally we're here and I'm hoping this is good in spite of that.
Ant Crown-yep, David is quite possibly the most evil thing running around on Earth right now, Vlad at least has redeeming qualities left, David is just evil.
Silverchild of the wind- Yep Rachel is nuts now (or on the border of nuts), she's suppose to sound crazy. And I did want her to sympathetic at the end, because she should be, it's not her fault she's nuts, it just kinda happened and she's doing what she can to survive, which at the core is what Rachel's all about.
Covert Weapon- If you've gone insane waiting I'm sorry, and this chapter is a great deal shortr
Phantomshadowdragon- as I said this ch. is shorter and by the end of this ch Jazz will have 5 forms- currently she a Hobby (falcon) and a German Shepherd, I won't spoil the other forms for you
Katreal- As I said I had a wicked case of writers block, but here's the next installment, I'm glad your enjoying it. And I'm glad about that because I was worried when I first started crafting this that blending 2 properties with so little in common wouldn't work.
And again to everyone, I'm sorry about the mistakes, I do try to get them, but I'm not a Chee or the Ghostwriter, I'm human and I make mistakes. Once more I'm sorry.
Jazz POV
"HOW CAN YOU BE THIS IRRESPONSIBLE!" the comment bringing a smile to my lips, I was use to the situation being in reverse. "HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US ABOUT THIS! THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE HIDING!"
"You done?" folding my arms over my chest and leaning into the couch, really glad our parents weren't in the area after that little verbal explosion. I also couldn't help but feel a little exposed in the tight fitting clothing that consisted of my morphing outfit, or would till I could figure out how to morph my normal clothing.
"I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN STARTED!"
"Down Danny," Sam putting a hand on his shoulder and exerting that calming influence she always seemed to have on my brother, "let the girl at least say something before you jump down her throat."
"Thank you," giving Sam a small nod of my head, "as I was trying to say before you started screaming at me the second I closed the door, I don't know what happened to me, neither of us do. Tobias and I talked for the last few hours and we just don't know how I got my powers," shrugging, "or his as the case my be since they don't seem to act normally."
"Great so you have mutant morphing abilities," his voice calmer but his body shaking out of control.
"DANNY!" Sam barked gripping his shoulder tighter.
I thought that over before I spoke, "that's actually pretty close to the truth," blowing some air up my face and making a few strands of hair jump and dance.
"So…are they….I don't know dangerous?" an edge in his voice.
"If you'd been listening you'd know this already, two hour time limit, possibility of genetic duplicates of anything I acquire, possibility of instinct overload, possibility of something killing me if it's fast enough, oh and according to Tobias if I'm around Val while she's in her ghost gear I can be tracked and will be labeled a ghost and shot at."
"One more reason not to like her."
"Sam," my brother glaring at her.
"What I'm just saying," shrugging it off and sitting next to me, "so what's it like," the interest written all over her face.
"Hard to say I haven't really done much yet, it's alien and weird but at the same time it's like I'm home, like I was suppose to do this. If nothing else I get to fly, you don't know what it's like to fly."
"I do," he growled glaring at Sam, not happy with the turn of events or that his backup was now on my side.
"No you don't," shaking my head, "I've flown with you, what you do is nothing compared to what I do now. The words do not exist," my body quivering at the memories, just in the last few hours with Tobias everything I thought I new about flying had been blown out of the water, "I'm coordinating hundreds it not thousands of muscles and feathers, were talking numbers you can't imagine. I'm calculating things in my head I shouldn't be able to, I know how high I am, how fast I'm going, I didn't even know thermals and wind currents existed till I met him and now I know how to navigate them without even thinking, it's incredibly surreal."
"You sound like your on drugs you know that right?"
"I am Danny," glaring up at him, knowing what was coming next.
"I KNEW IT WHAT'D THAT FEATHERED NUT JOB SHOT YOU FULL OF!"
"Adrenaline and endorphins, or the falcon equivalents there of," smiling up at him, "naturally occurring substances in the body that show up in the body when it's exposed to excitement or stress. Right now to say I'm a little excited is like saying Sam likes a little black, like our families a little weird…"
"Like you need a little bit of psychological help," he added.
"Funny," giving him a smug look, "look Danny this wasn't intentional and I was going to tell you," looking over at Sam, "all of you, I just needed some time. For a while I wasn't even sure I had the ability, last night was the first time I really tried it, and even then I wasn't completely sure I knew what I was doing. You don't have to worry about me Danny, I have a good teacher, let's face it Tobias is the only one that really qualified to teach me here, he won't let me get hurt."
"No he just turned you into a…"
"Think before you finish the sentence LITTLE BROTHER," adding some emphasis to the words, "your not exactly in a position to judge me. You didn't tell any of us about your transformation, about the situations you found yourself in, at least I had the decency to show you what I had become rather than making you find out for yourself."
"Low blow sis."
"The truth sometimes is," meeting his eyes for several tense moment.
"Ok both of you stop it," Sam growled walking between us and breaking the eye lock, "there's enough bad blood between us without adding more." She looked at my brother, "she's safe and unharmed, and it's not like she did something stupid with her powers yet," while I couldn't see her expression I could see his and he grew red in the face. Then she looked at me, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have come to us sooner, after all you're the responsible one, you should know better than us what it's like to have loved one's keeping secrets from each other."
I sighed deeply, "yeah"
"I guess," not looking at me.
"Um…," moving some hair from my face as I could feel a blush forming, "about not doing something stupid with my powers, I can't technically say that's true."
"Meaning," Danny warily looking at me past Sam.
"Well I did something arguably insane last nigh," telling them about David, but left out the part about my near death experience, Tobias was right something were best left not said to those that didn't and shouldn't hear it. By the time I was done they were both sitting down, pale and staring at me like I'd lost my mind, then again I wasn't sure I hadn't.
After several minutes of neither saying anything Danny finally broke the silence, "how could you do that with out telling us…telling me?"
"Again your not one to talk given the situation," really hoping I didn't look as pleased with myself as I felt, "secondly if you'd gone after him when I'd asked you too he might not have been caught and I wouldn't of had to go after him."
"I…but…they…STOP DOING THAT," visibly shaking.
"Doing what?"
"TURNING EVERYTHING AROUND ON ME!"
I leaned forward and took his face in my hands, "I've been doing this to you since you could talk, you really think I'm going to stop now?"
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah I do," letting go of him but letting one hand linger on his face for a few moments, "I'm glad your worried about me, but I'm the older sister here, it's my job to worry not yours. Besides I've already been read the riot act by Tobias and I don't need it from you too, I'm not going to do anything stupid…," getting an accusing look from Danny and corrected myself, "…stupider, I've already had enough close calls for one lifetime and I'm not going to start looking for more. Just give me some time ok, this is a lot for me to deal with too and I'm already a little over whelmed and I don't need you giving me a hard time on top of everything else."
"I can't believe your this calm about this," Sam giving me a smirk and resting a hand on my back.
"I've learned to accept a lot over the last few weeks," shrugging, "after all my best friends a bird, my brothers a ghost, I now know two aliens by their first names, been attacked by ghosts on multiple occasions, and have had the rare pleasure of almost being killed on another planet, why should I not accept what's happened to me gracefully."
"When you put it that way, this isn't that weird is it," scratching the back of her head.
"I wish I was yelling at Tuck at least he accepts it and doesn't make me feel bad about it after words," as my brother flopped down next to Sam.
"We do have that effect on you don't we?"
"Yes you do Sam," leaning his head back, "you sure your going to be ok sis?"
"With all of you watching out for me I don't see how I can't be, just do me a favor don't freak out when you see me morph, from what I've seen it can get pretty ugly, horror movie ugly."
"Speaking of horror movies, why are you wearing that," Danny waving a hand up and down at me.
It wasn't hard to figure out what he meant, "because it's either this or I change naked and I don't think any of us really want that."
"Except Tucker," Sam's face growing red as soon as she said it and grabbing her mouth and holding her head down in shame.
Danny and I just stared at her for a second a little shocked she'd be the one to say it but eventually my brother broke the awkward silence, "gee thanks for that mental image Sam," mock shivering.
"Sorry," looking up sheepishly.
I rubbed my eyes, "I have got to get normal friends."
"And I have to kill my best friend," leaning back into the couch.
"Please like he doesn't hit on every girl in school."
"But this is my sister Sam there are rules, RULES THAT HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED!"
"I wouldn't know I'm an only child."
"You know what I mean Sam," and from there both slipped into their own little worlds as they argued and let me slip away and head upstairs to change. By the time I hit my bedroom I could somehow feel everything I had done that day, the aches and pains didn't really follow over into different bodies, but that didn't stop the exhaustion from following me around. I'd crashed and burned three different times in the process of him trying to teach me how to fly, or more exactly how to balance the human mind with the bird's instincts, and I knew for sure I ended up breaking my wing twice, the third time I snapped a couple of ribs and that was when we both decided to end it before I really hurt myself, or at that point tire myself to the point of walking home dressed like this.
Groaning, I pealed the layer of clothing off and looked at my closet in dread, part of me wanted to get dressed, but in an instant I knew that side wasn't strong enough. Sitting down on the bed I looked over at my door and was glad to see I had locked it when I came in even if I didn't remember doing it and that the window was covered. Sighing happily to myself I just dropped down on the bed, the blanket feeling great on my back as I felt the exhaustion spreading outward and making my body heavy, especially my eye lids. Struggling to hold onto consciousness I reached an arm that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds out and clicked the alarm clock on in case I needed it as the world slipped into darkness.
DP Style
"I still don't think this is a good idea."
"Would you stop worrying so much I know what I'm doing."
"Somehow I doubt that," the green blob watching the black flame being float around the room and making final preparations by lighting the last few candles with her fingers.
"I can't stay like this Bertrand," Spectra sighed looking back at her long time companion, it wasn't a secret that he didn't always approve of her schemes to stay young…to stay human, but lately he'd grown especially cautious.
"You don't look that bad," floating over to her and taking her hand in his.
Snarling she tore her hand free, "how can you say that," her body growing brighter, "this is not beautiful this is a monstrosity. Beauty is flawless skin, perfect lips, lustrous hair, a toned body, perfect legs, and a thousand other details. This," waving her hands over her body, "is the exact opposite, this is a mockery of everything I should be, everything I was in life and I won't stand for it."
"But you not human any more."
"That doesn't matter I can still look like it, other ghosts can still look humans so why shouldn't I, fate may have dealt me a bad hand but that doesn't mean I have to accept it."
"I thought physiatrists' preached acceptance?" earning the green blob a glare that chilled him to the core.
"If you think this is such a mistake then leave I won't stop you," turning away from him and back to her work, "I don't need you for this after all."
"You know I can't do that," floating over to her, "if you insist on doing this I will be here to see you through it, but I still think it's a bad idea Penelope, we don't know what this will do to you, we can't even be sure it's safe, this is ancient knowledge and there has to be a reason other ghosts stopped using it," glancing over at the open book that hung in the air.
"I don't care Bertrand nothing can be worse than existing in this substandard form," moving over to the manuscript. "This book dates back past the time of Pariah Dark, to a time when magic was freely practiced by the greatest sorcerers the Ghost Zone has ever seen. If it's true what they say this book was even held by one of the mages that stood against the Ghost King so long ago."
"But that can't be proven," he pleaded with her, "you found the book locked in a chest of other books Penelope and none of them were valuable. By all rights if it were as valuable as you seem to think it is don't you think someone else would've found it by now, this is something Walker would have stored away."
Slowly running her fingers across the page, "things slip through the cracks, humans and ghosts are always discovering things about their past they didn't know they never knew, it's not that hard to believe it's happening again. Besides I don't care if it's really as old as I was told, the end results are the only thing I care about right now."
"I still think this is a mistake Penelope but if you say so," floating away from her and outside the circle of candles, the intricate symbols written on the ground, and the artifacts hanging in the air, each carefully placed according to the diagram.
"I do," positioning herself according to how the diagram showed and double checking everything, she was hopeful, not stupid, this magic was older than her and she knew if she didn't follow the directions to the letter the results could be very bad for her. It had taken a long time for her to get this far, many of the artifacts had taken weeks to find, some of them had been common but more than a few were nearly one of a kind and took a great deal of effort to find intact. Perhaps even more difficult had been finding someone that could explain the text to her, much of the book was written in an extinct ghost dialect and speaking the words was just as important as setting up the physical elements of the spell. Finally satisfied that everything was were it should be she began.
"Ouysn abiuro feght dnots hatbna," spreading her arms wide, the marks on the ground igniting in ghostly pale pink light.
"Yacr emhlla," the artifacts in the air now glowing an almost blinding white light.
"Lekwaf teminw hisih amae," the candles flaring and shooting ebony jets of flame into the air and blocking Bertrand from seeing the ceremony outside of the light radiating from the floor and artifacts.
"Sil wkart agshad tfesd lsinanin," the light now growing to bright for even Spectra to see what has going on as she closed her eyes. But even without seeing she could fell what was happening around her as the artifacts circled her and stirred up the air, her always warm body growing even hotter as they passed by her.
"Behmho omlatw yigo kest ewhse," as the artifacts spun around her they began to pulsate an eerie silver light and lifted her into the air, in the space of every flash of light her body shifted from her ghostly flame form to something near her former human like appearance.
"Qthayneer gangh adnuot dethiu utho," as the last word escaped her lips the world erupted in a blind flash of black, pink, and white as the light from the spell flared one final time then died away leaving everyone in the room blind till they finally readjusted to the lower normal light.
"PENELOPE," Bertrand yelled flying over to the woman who now lay on the ground, her back to him and arcs of black flame still leaping from her form, not caring if he disturbed the patterns on the ground or the artifacts that now lay in various parts of the room, their glow gone and each now looking scorched and burned. As gently as he dared he touched the woman he had sworn himself to, terrified that he'd hurt her, or worse that she'd already hurt herself. As he rolled her over he almost leapt back in surprise, her flames rising off her while she lay there revealing a form very close to her former humanesque appearance.
Her form was nearly the same as her last two bodies but there seemed to be a few differences. Her hair was still red but it now fanned out instead of being locked in the mock horn pattern she had formerly used. Her skin seemed to be slightly more tanned than it had been with striking results. Her face was the same but different, the look of superiority that always seemed to be there was gone, replaces by innocence and something the other ghost couldn't place. Her figure was largely unchanged as far as he could tell, she was still curved in all the right places, her legs were still long, but again something was different something he couldn't place. Her body was now wrapped in a black and silver dress that hung to her like a second skin. The top was black with sliver trim and sleeveless and contained a plunging neck line that skirted the edges between elegant and trashy. Onyx glove ran up her arms to her elbows that sparkled with silver spider webs. The skirt ended several inches above the knee save for the back where it flared out and flowed to the ground, the outside a moonless black and the inside a vibrate sliver, that trailed behind her like a wedding train. Her ebony boots ended in stiletto heals and ran up to her knees, her toes and much her legs on display thanks to the spider-web like cut of the shoes that revealed more than they hid.
The more he looked at her unconscious form the more only one thought came to mind, radiant, it was the only word that seemed to fit and even it seemed woefully inappropriate. That became even more apparent when she opened her eyes and looked at him with green eyes so piercing that he lost the ability to move and think as he lost himself in those magnificent orbs.
She breathed a heavy sigh as she came around and looked up at her companion more than a little confused by the look he gave her, "not so close Bertrand," she whispered not needing to see him that close to her as her body radiated a dull pain from everywhere at once. Without a word he jumped back several feet but his eyes never left her. "Ok you might have been right about checking a few things," sitting up and putting a hand on her forehead as a headache tore through her mind and made her want to lay back down. That thought didn't last long as she pulled her hand away and looked at it for the first time noticing that she was now gloved and looked very human, "it worked," more than a little surprise in her voice.
Standing up she was more than a little surprised by the power she felt running through her body, it was similar to what she had felt from the body she'd created from the genetics from the humans in Amity Park, but different in a way she couldn't describe. Every movement she made seemed easier, like she couldn't help but be graceful, her very walk seemed to extrude poise and sexuality. A smile forming on her lips she floated over to the large mirror she'd placed in the corner on the room and looked at herself, even going so far as to hover over the ground and spin to get as good a look at the new her as possible.
"I don't like the hair," running her fingers through the now longer scarlet locks that followed down her shoulders in waves and shimmered like water in the moonlight, "but I can live with it, and the dress defiantly makes up for it." The dress hugged her perfectly, accenting everything about her form to an almost painful degree, somehow simultaneously showing everything and leaving it to the imagination. She'd seen countless dresses in her time both alive and in the Ghost Zone but this was beyond anything she had ever seen before, it was prefect. "Now this is how I was always meant to look," twirling in the air, "what do you say now Bertrand?"
When he didn't say anything she turned and looked at the gelatinous ghost a little surprised by what she saw, he was on his hands and knees, or at least his equivalent, and staring up at her with wide eyes. He seemed almost reluctant to move, or for that matter speak, in short everything anti Bertrand, the smaller ghost was never at a lost for words and never passed up an opportunity to give his opinion.
"What's wrong with you," cocking her head, her hair falling over her shoulder and not getting anything out of him. "This isn't funny," putting her hands on her hips, "stop it," again getting no response from the ghost. After several minutes of trying to get him to respond to her she began to feel lightheaded and weak and felt her knees falter and despite the fact she was still hanging in the air that she almost feel to the ground. "I need to sit down," her feet touching the floor and before her knees could drop her to the ground there was a chair under her, or more exactly Bertrand in the form of a chair was under her.
For a second she just run her fingers along the transformed ghost not understanding what was going on and slowly let her strength return and her head clear. Taking a deep breath she stood up and walked over to the book, hoping the answers to what was going on could be found in the pages. Pick up the book she slowly reread everything to do with the spell while grabbing looks back at the ghost in chair form who hadn't moved from his spot since she got up. Not finding anything she thought back to everything she had said to him over the last few minutes the one thing in particular sticking out.
"Bertrand I need to sit down," the words coming out in a haunting silky tone that made her flush in excitement both at the words and at his response as he retook his blob form and shot over to her and reformed as a chair under her perfectly formed rear-end. "Interesting," running her fingers along the arm rests and crossing her legs, "very interesting indeed."
DP Style
"Well it's always nice when things are back to normal," Sam sighed walking through the halls of school the next morning, a light black jacket on top her usual tank top, the deep purple interior occasionally flashing as she walked.
"Oh yeah things are really back to normal," Danny sighed rolling his eyes and growling bitterly, "when was the last time we could ever say things around here were normal?"
"What brought this on?" backing away from him a little.
"I had to wake Jazz up this morning."
"So?"
His voice dropped down secretively, "I phased through her door and went blind when I saw my sister's naked body sprawled out on her bed," shivering slightly.
Sam just stared at him for a few moments her body no longer capable of moving as she tried to process what she'd just heard. After a few moments however she finally retook control of her form, "I couldn't have been," her voice cracking slightly, "that bad or where there," wavering her hand, "side effects we weren't told about."
"Didn't see any, and I saw plenty, it's the principal of the thing here, there are some things I could live with never seeing, my sister like that was one of them."
"So why didn't you knock on her door?" raising her eyebrow.
"Tried that, didn't wake her up, but my screaming did, then she screamed," counting off the 'screams' on his fingers, "then I screamed again, then Dad started pounding on the door screaming about ghosts, then he broke it down but by that point Jazz had pulled a blanket up, then she screamed at us to get out, then dad screamed, then Mom came in saw everything and screamed, I screamed again, then Jazz screamed at us to get out again, then Mom pulled Dad and I out and screamed at us."
"The things that go in your house," giving him a scared and slightly disgusted look.
"Your telling me, I'd give anything not to remember that."
"Careful what you say remember around here it might come true."
"What might come true," Tucker asked running up next to them.
"You don't want to know," Sam waving him off.
"One of those things huh?"
"Always," the goth nodding her head, "how you holding up?"
"Alright, I actually think I'm getting over my technology addiction," holding his hand up, the appendage no longer shaking.
"The scary part is your saying that and being completely serious," rolling her eyes.
"Yeah yeah keep making jokes at my expense pretty soon I will be free of all artificial earthly needs."
"Twenty bucks say as soon as they give your PDA back you'll be back to normal."
"Never, I'm free of it, completely and totally free and I will never be bound to anything ever again."
"Oh I really hope that's not what it sounds like," Val's voice making the three turn, "your already on thin ice in most circles do you really need to add more fuel to the fire."
"He can say what he wants," Sam's voice going from warm and inviting to cold and threatening in the blink of an eye.
"And here we go again," Tucker sighed.
"Sure if he doesn't want to ruin everything we did for him yesterday…oh wait I didn't do anything for him," glaring at Sam, "I somehow ended up locked in a closet," narrowing her eyes, a tiny snarl in her voice.
"Oh so that's what happened to you, I was wondering where you went," Sam doing her best to stay cool in the face of what might've been an accusation.
"Don't give me that," she hissed, "coincidences are one thing but this is a little to much to swallow."
"If your accusing me of something get it over with," giving her a 'come on' motion with her fingers.
"I don't know how but I know you had something to do with that."
At that Danny broke out of his stupor at the thoughts of his morning ordeal, "ok whoa stop, like she had anything to do with that."
"Yeah I'm sure she, all of you, had nothing to do with that," Val glared at him.
"You getting at something," the goth hissed.
"No nothing at all," waking away from them, a look of determination on her face.
The three watched her leave with a sense of dread creeping over them till Tucker spoke, "alright I'm calling it this isn't going to end well."
"If it's not ghosts or the crazy bird, it's the hunter, why is it I can never have a normal life."
"Because you're a Fenton and Fenton's aren't allowed that?" Sam offered watching the ghost hunter walk away and wanting nothing more than to slam her into a wall.
"What is with the two of you," Tucker hissed when Val was out of sight, "I understand you and Paulina, but Val's different now, she's actually nice to people."
Between clenched teeth, "she also wants to shot him," pointing at Danny, "and in case you haven't been paying attention she's not that nice when you put her in red."
"Oh this is purely a protect Danny from himself kind of thing?"
"Yes," giving him a look that said he should stop while he was ahead.
"Funny I thought it was a she's hitting on Danny thing and your jealous of her thing," smiling like a cherisher cat.
"He's not my boyfriend"
"She's not my girlfriend," the two barked in unison, neither surprised they were once again synchronized.
"Yeah and denial is a river in Egypt," rolling his eyes and walking to class.
"I'm thinking he should wake up in a closet naked with a big tattoo across his chest."
"Problem is there are to many kinds of tat's to choose from."
"Very true," watching him round a corner, "so what are we going to do about Val?"
"Not sure, she might know something, then again she might not," sighing, "I'll check around after school see if I can dig anything up."
"Be careful Danny, this isn't like messing with Dash, if you get caught by her…," not needing to finish the thought, both knowing what would happen and wrapping herself in the jacket as a shiver ran through her body. "Maybe you could go get Tobias he seems to get into the spying thing.
"Yes but that would mean I have to go and see my sister again," a shiver running down his spine, "not to mention I don't want to know what he'd do to me when he finds out what I saw."
"Think of it this way, hopefully it's more than what he's seen."
"Sick and wrong Sam, sick and wrong."
Jazz POV
I wasn't sure my blush would ever go away, thankfully it had gone down since this morning but I could still see the slight redness of it and I knew everyone else in school could as well. I didn't blame Danny, not really, I knew he was just trying to get me up, and after a little while I did remember hitting the snooze button on the alarm a few times, and looking back I really should've put something on before I went to sleep, but I never thought I'd sleep that long.
I whole day I just avoided him, all of them for that matter, and just wanted to get out of here but stayed out of some misguided sense of needing to. Truth was all I really cared about was getting up to Tobias and feeling the wind in my face and pushing all of what had happened out of my mind, the desire building as the day went on till it was almost out of control. As soon as it ended I ran out of the school, not caring about anything else and jumped into my car and sped home, it was all I could do to stop myself from morphing in the parking lot but after everything that had been going on I figured a pile of my clothing might raise a questions or two I didn't want to answer. The second I was threw the door of my room I chucked the backpack into a corner and tore off everything else and lifted my window, feathers already sprouting as the desire to simply not be human overwhelmed me. The second the changes finished I jumped out of the window and into the sky, the falcon in full control of my body, the instability of yesterday gone as I simply let the unrivaled freedom of flight flow over my body and drive back all my insecurities, anger and embarrassment at the situation.
I was up there for almost half an hour, the falcon almost completely in charge of my body when I was snapped out of it, (very nice, but you might want to rein it in.) At his thoughts I felt the falcon jerk, for lack of a better term, and lose control of her flight for a split second. Looking around I spotted Tobias but all I saw was an enemy, something that wanted my territory, something I had to kill. When that hit me I took a strangle hold on the birds instincts and tried to push them to the side, which resulted in me forgetting how to fly and plummeting to the ground for several yards till I remembered the balance Tobias kept preaching and leveled out. (Yeah I doubted you were in control,) he called for above me, slightly following my fall, ready to grab me if he had to.
(Sorry,) looking at him, (I just…)
(Was distracted,) filling in the words, making me nod ever so slightly, (makes sense all things considered.)
(You mean being a novice at this,) sailing up next to him.
(That and what I heard from Tucker while I was flying around school.)
(Oh…) my mental words trailing off.
(Yeah I'm not sure how to approach that either,) shifting his wings and sailing below me, (but right now we have to beat it,) a slight edge working into his thoughts.
(What…why,) following him down.
(I know your new at this but feel the air Jazz, it's pulsing, like a rock thrown in calm water, sending out waves in all directions.)
(So,) I didn't understand what he was getting at.
(Just follow me,) pulling into a steep dive and slipping behind a billboard and landing on the scaffolding on the back.
I landed next to him a moment later, (what is it birdie, what's got you so spooked?)
(Do you remember what I told you yesterday,) looking at me with his laser like vision, (about what it meant when the air felt like that?)
I closed my eyes and thought back trying to sift through all the information he'd given me while trying to teach me the subtle art of flying but ultimately coming up empty, but becoming more aware of the beating of the air. (I'll bite,) I finally admitted, (I can't remember, what does it mean?)
(That,) looking away from me and nodding his head past the scaffolding, the source of the disturbance in plain sight now, it was now almost as if I could see the air getting displaced.
(Valerie,) I whimpered seeing the girl in the dark red suit flying by on her silver hover board with the giant gun in her arm. It wasn't long ago I'd secretly envied the girl knowing that she could fly among the clouds and now I was hiding from her.
(Yep,) nodding his head, (and in case you forgot she can see we're not normal and she will shot us,) giving me an accusing look.
(I know, I know,) nodding my head the information coming back to me, (I just got a little side tracked ok,) closing my eyes in embarrassment, something that would've been more at place if I were human.
(Relax,) his tail feathers caressing my cheek, (your not suppose to know everything and at least your still ok, that's all that really matters isn't it?)
(Yeah,) looking at the back of his head then past him to Val, her body hanging in air and scanning the area, looking very much like a high tech Grim Reaper and sending a chill down my spine. (I just feel kind of stupid all over right now, this, her, my brother, I should be better…should be smarter than this.)
(First off you are smart never doubt that, secondly I'm not really a good teacher so that might have something to do with it, I should be doing a better job of teaching you how to read the sky instead of expecting you to just know it, this is a hard thing to figure out. Third, I don't know what happened with you and your brother, and I don't care, but I know about walking into embarrassing situations with people you care about, this seems bad now but it'll go away after a while.)
I let his words flow over my like a blanket and wrapped myself in them, feeling safe for a few moments, (thanks birdie,) walking up and nuzzling him, (and you're a good teacher. Like you said, this isn't exactly an easy thing to learn how to do.)
(So who's making who feel better here?)
(We both are, it's half the charm of our relationship,) enjoying the moment even if it was utterly insane in the grand scheme of things. We didn't say anything to each other for a while after that, each just enjoying the closeness of the situation and hoping Val had gone away.
(I think that's long enough, the girls not that persistent, she wouldn't hold a trap that long.)
(You know that how,) feeling a little weird questioning him considering this was his element.
He looked back at me, (the girls come after me a few times, and I've watched her work more times than she knows, I may not know her personally but I know how she thinks, the girl doesn't have it in her to hold up any kind of long term stake out. She's all about the quick strike, not a bad thing by any means, but she could be so much more.)
(Oh yeah you don't sound even a tiny bit like a stalker,) jumping off the railing and flying through the gaps in the metal till I was free again, the red tail right behind me.
(Like the old saying goes 'knowledge is power' and from experience I can tell you it's true, the right information can save your life, doesn't matter if it's disarming a bomb, knowing how someone will react or knowing the difference between the sounds of a grizzly and a polar bear stomping through the woods.)
(Speaking of which,) spreading my wings wide and riding a thermal up into the sky and following him, my nerves finally relaxing, (when can I can I get a bear, I know they have a few at the zoo?)
He didn't bother looking back and flew into a head wind, (don't get a ahead of yourself till you get the other bodies down there's no reason to rush into any of this.)
I couldn't be sure but I thought I picked up a little condescension in his thoughts, (what's that suppose to mean,) I growled.
(I just mean there's no point in rushing it,) a definite hint of anger in his voice that time, (it's not like you really need to know how to use any other bodies yet.)
(Need to know and wanting to know are different, I have a rare opportunity here and I want to get as much out of it as I can.)
(Then learn the basics,) a surprising amount of venom in his voice, (if you can't control the bodies you have I won't help arm you with things that are bigger and more dangerous.)
(I can control myself.)
(Try again,) he snapped, (I was watching you Jazz, not only were not in control of the body you weren't even aware of the fact that I was there. Morphing is five percent physical and ninety percent mental, if you can't learn…)
(That's only ninety-five percent,) mentally jabbing.
(The other five percent is luck and as I was saying, if you can't learn the subtle mental balance of a falcon or a dog, two of the easer animals to start with then you can't be trusted to try other animals that will completely over power you if you let them.)
I'm not sure what was making me madder the fact that he was accusing me of all these thing or the fact that he was right, (ok,) I whimpered into his mind, (I wasn't in control but I can do better, it's just…)
(I don't want to hear it, this isn't a game Jazz, I know what it's like to want to disappear when things don't go your way, but it's not a good idea, look at me, I did that and for a while I had feathers twenty-four seven. Yeah I got lucky I have a choice to go human again you might not, if you can't balance the mental aspect and you can't prioritize when to use the power you shouldn't use it at all.)
(Where is this coming from?) not understand why he was yelling at me.
For a few very long moments he didn't say anything, the tension between up almost visible then out of the blue, (because I'm worried about you Jazz,) sighing deeply. (You remind me of me right now, someone that doesn't like her life and loves the power she's been given, the only problem is you don't have the need to use it properly. I'm worried your life will turn out like mine did and I want you to get it together, you got embarrassed, it happens, look under most circumstance I'd say go and fly, have some fun and get everything out of your system, but unless you can do it and stay in control I don't think you should be doing this at all, me watching you or not.)
(Birdie…)
(Jasmine,) his words growing softer, (you have a gift and I don't just mean the obvious, this should be easy for you and the fact that it isn't is scaring me.)
(What do you mean easy, I'm becoming other animals it's not like people are predisposed to doing this.)
(You are,) diving down and landing on the roof of a building where I followed him, having a feeling this was important. (Your not normal Jazz,) looking at me, (and I don't mean that in a bad way, you're an estreen, someone that naturally knows how to do this, someone that should be better at this than I am. Experience might play a little into this, but by this time I had more control than you do and that shouldn't be the case.)
(You know this how,) shaking my head not completely sure where this was coming from.
(Because Cassie was one, and every time you change you remind me of her, morphing shouldn't be pretty, but every time you do it you become this stunning figure everyone in drawn to. For Andalite's it's an art form, something respected and admired, a rare gift and no one knows quite what it is, and your one of the few that has it.)
When he said it I backed up and demorphed not sure how to take it or if I should be worried about it, "so what are you saying?"
(You should have it down by now Jazz or at least have more control over it and the fact that you don't is making me nuts. I see you change I see how easy it is for you, how breathtaking you are and I know what you should be capable of but I keep seeing you struggle with something that should be so easy and it makes me…I don't know, scared, angry, I don't have the words here Jazz.) He looked back at the buildings, (I know what your capable of and it hurts me to know you can't realize it, and more than that I know what it's like to not have control, to get lost in the body, to know just how intoxicating that is and I don't want that to happen to you. I've had to many close calls in my life and in the lives of those I care about and I don't want you to get swept up in those numbers.)
"Tobias," putting am arm around him, at first I'd meant it to be affectionate, then I looked down and nearly squeezed the life out of him as I got a blast of acrophobia, but to his credit he didn't freak out on me as I pulled him back as I fell on my butt. I held him like that for a few moments washed in a mix of confusion as what he said sunk in.
(Jazz,) he whispered into my mind after a while.
"I'm ok," I whimpered a new blast of embarrassment hitting me as I let him go, "it's just…."
(I know I should stop with the nagging it's getting old and it doesn't he….,) his thoughts stopping as I put my fingers on his beak and 'shushed' him.
"It's ok, your worried about me and that means a lot," putting him down and leaning back against the roof. "I'm just scared," sighing deeply, "you tell me all these stories about what might happen and it freaks me out a little. I know all the bad things that can happen if I abuse this ability and I know I should just use it for the sake of using it but I'm not sure….how to use it," scratching me head, "that makes sense right?"
(Yeah,) nodding his head.
"And everything your asking me to do, it just…it goes against everything I believe in, everything I've been working towards. I've tried to understand how the mind works and how to keep it in control, especially mine and now you tell me I have to learn to let go of all that in order to learn how to do this."
(A little unfair huh?)
"Beyond words," putting my hands behind my head, "I'm having to unlearn everything I am but I am trying," looking him in the eyes, "but it seems like I can't figure this out, half the time I think I now what I'm doing and it turns out I'm totally off. As it is all I can do vaguely direct the bodies to do what I want but it's not like I have any control over how it gets done, I'm just a passenger and makes me nuts because if I try and take control I'm liable to end up a smear on the concrete," the beginning of a tear welling up in the corner of my right eye. "It's just so frustrating, I don't want to let myself down, or you for that matter but I just don't get it, hear the words, and I understand everything inside my mind," pulling my arms forward and shaking them next to my head, "but when I change everything just goes out the window and it makes me crazy."
For a few long moments we didn't say anything to each other, Tobias just kept looking at me with the hawk laser vision and making it impossible for me to read him. Taking a deep breath that made his feathers spread and shift, (you want to take this from the top,) an uncertainty in his mental voice.
I couldn't help but laugh when he said it, I don't know why but I found it funny, the lameness of it just seemed incredibly amusing. "I'm not sure how that'll help."
(I know I just wanted to break the drama, come on I think I know how to deal with your problem,) walking over to the ledge, (this isn't about thinking, this is simply about knowing how to balance the human with the animal, and I think I know how to guide you there. It's really stupid and dangerous but it'll force you to balance the instincts with human judgment.)
"And that is?"
(We're going diving,) giving me a bird smile with his eyes, (if you can drop to the ground at a hundred plus miles an hour and come within only a few feet of the ground by the time you pull out you'll have a good idea of how to control the balance.)
"And your coming up with this how?" lifting my eyebrow not believing what I was hearing.
(The dive takes the falcons instincts in order to keep it stable, but it'll want to flare up before it hit's the ground or coming in at an angel, if you can keep those instincts in check and guide it to pull at the last possible moment your trust problem should be broken.)
"That or my neck will be," rolling my eyes.
(Trust me I know what I'm talking about, I do this all the time,) jumping out into the sky, (this is the ultimate test of balance, you have to trust the falcon knows what it's doing while figuring out the proper hold to keep on the instincts, it's not going to be easy but it's worth it.)
"I'll take your word on that," shifting back into falcon mode and flapping after him.
DP Style
"So what'd you find out?" as Sam tapped her foot on the ground impatiently as Danny dropped down next to her in the park.
"I'd say I'm in trouble but that doesn't begin to describe it," he sighed.
"You want to be a little more specific," Tucker asked, "trouble as in the box ghost or trouble as in Vlad?"
"Try she might know who I am," running his fingers through his hair.
"WHAT!" the other two speaking in unison as they looked at him.
"Guys keep it down," Danny hissed looking around and hoping they hadn't attracted any more attention.
Sam pulled him in close and whispered, "what do you mean she might know?"
"I went through her room," shivering slightly at the thought, her room had been completely filled ghost hunting equipment and he hadn't been sure it wasn't booby trapped. "I couldn't get into her computer but she had a dart board up…"
"So," Tucker cutting him off not understanding where this was going.
"It had my picture on it…both of them," he snapped, "you know the down the middle secret identity split, left side human me, right side ghost me. I didn't see anything that said Fenton equals Phantom but it's pretty obvious that's where she was going."
"I told you that girl was going to be trouble," Sam sighed looking up into the sky, "so what do we do?"
"Well who says this is a bad thing," Tucker shrugged getting a dirty look from Sam, "I'm just saying, if she knows who Danny is, why not bring her into the fold. We could always use a little more muscle, and this way she stops trying to hunt down Danny and focus on the real threats."
"That or she shoots Danny then hunts down Jazz and Tobias and the town get over run by ghosts that she can't stop on her own, not to mention she has some link to Vlad so who knows what that'll do to us."
"Oh come on your just…"
"GUYS," Danny barked stopping the coming argument, "look we know Val is trying to do what she thinks is right, but we also know she has some serious issues with ghosts. I've tried making piece with her in the past and that hasn't really worked very well at least in ghost mode," looking at Sam, "but that doesn't mean it might not work now," looking at Tucker. "The problem is if I tell her there's no going back, and that puts my family at risk since we don't how she'll take it, she might be fine with it or she might go ballistic and start trying to take them down too. I don't have much trouble putting my life and risk, or even yours," getting dirty looks from the pair, "but I'm not doing that to them unless I can avoid it. If push comes to shove I'll tell her and hope for the best but right now we need to try and find another way out of this."
"Uh-hu your going to do that how?" Sam asked raising an eye brow.
Scratching behind his ear, "off the top of my head, no clue but we'll think of something."
"Still say we should just tell her," Tucker muttered more to himself then them.
"Your just saying that because it'll be easer for you to get a date with her if she thinks you're a tough ghost hunter too."
"Shut up Sam," shooting the goth a dirty look.
Murmuring to himself, "these two are never going to get over it."
DP Style
"Now this is the life, so to speak," Penelope purred happily reclining on the deck chair that hovered over the ground and watching the approach of a ghost with a ruggedly chiseled physic and a tray holding drink with a little umbrella in it. She took the drink as he kneeled down and ran her gloved hand over his chest enjoying his presence before shooing him away and sipped the concoction. The cool liquid helped ease the pain in her head that seems to occur every time she made someone do what she wanted but the mild agony was well worth the joy she received.
"Bertrand," she cooed crossing her legs and taking another sip, the gelatinous ghost appearing at her side. As with the few other ghosts she had enthralled since her transformation he was still completely mesmerized by her, "I now have youth, beauty and power, everything I ever wanted, so what should I do next?"
"Do as you wish, we exist to serve your radiance," bowing to her, essentially the same thing the others said to her since she worked her enchantments on them.
"Revenge Bertrand, I want revenge, or should I saw repayment, if not for the halfa I'd still be floating around leeching the life off of teenagers instead of possessing this sublime body and power." Taking another sip of the drink, "besides, none of these muscle heads have any real power, they're fun to look at but that's it. I'm going to need someone with real strength if I'm going to spread my influence out to all the undeserving ghosts out there, and he has that is spades. If nothing else," stretching her back and standing up, "I need to know if my new power extendeds to the living as well as the dead."
"Your will be done my queen."
"Yes," smiling seductively, "now find me a way to the living world then gather the others, they may be useless but I'll need a few sacrificial lambs to draw him out."
"As you desire," flying away to gather the others as Spectra watched him go and sighed.
"I can deal with the blind obedience, but I have to figure out how to get them to talk normally because they're starting to become annoying."
Jazz POV
(WWWWOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!)
(STOP YELLING THAT!) Tobias' words ringing through my head and meaning nothing as the feathers on my breast brushed with the grass in the field.
(NEVER,) shifting dozens of feathers and soaring up into the sky, the momentum of the fall giving me enough power to clear the trees and hit a head wind and sail back into the welcoming sky.
(You've been diving for the last hour and the last eight have been perfect, you need to give it a little bit of a rest.)
(Going for an even dozen,) laughing mentally and looking down at the ground and diving down again, the ground coming at me at over a hundred miles an hour, the hobby and the human minds in total sync as I plummeted before pulling up at the last second and like before my feathers just brushed the ground.
(I'm not sure if I should be impressed or jealous that you've managed to pick this up so fast.)
(Oh sure like I didn't break my wings about fifteen times today,) letting the wind shift my feathers as I landed a few branches away from him, my landings still needing a little bit of work.
(You still have three to go.)
(I'll get back to them,) hopping the final few branches to him and nuzzling him slightly, (and I said I did break a few things before getting it right and that's a learning curve you didn't have.)
He cocked his head at me after I said it and I wasn't sure if he was thinking it over or a hold over from his being a hawk despite all his big talk about being in complete harmony with the bird. (Still,) he finally spoke after a few long seconds, (you picked up on this much faster than I thought you would.)
(I just needed someone to light a fire under my tail, so have I finally proved I can control the instincts?)
(That would be a yes, at least for the moment.)
(So I can get something bigger?) bobbing my head slightly in anticipation and really looking forward to finally try something a little bigger than a falcon.
(Prove you can hold down the dog and I'll show you a side to the zoo you've never imagined,) doing a weird smile with his eyes that I can't quite describe.
(YES,) hopping up and down on the branch, temporarily letting the confidence and joy of being a bird, not to mention the adrenalin, or whatever the bird equivalent was, that had to be running through my body overwhelm me and act a little immature while leaves came loose and drifted to the ground. After a second I realized what I must look like to him and calmed myself and smoothed my feathers out and tried to recover some of my dignity.
(Wow, I knew you wanted to progress to the next level, but I didn't know you wanted it that badly,) huffing lightly in what I now knew was the closest thing a hawk could do to a laugh.
(Yeah sorry about that, not quite as in control as I thought I was,) glad falcons couldn't blush.
(It's not a problem,) nuzzling me with his beak, (sometimes you just have to enjoy the body your in. Hmm, you know, you have the Hobby more or less down, and I know form experience German Shepherds are basically point and click so maybe a little variety wouldn't be bad.)
(Zoo?) coking my head and doing my best to keep my mental voice calm and knowing I was failing.
(That would be the plan,) my heart starting to beat faster, (but your not getting anything big, not yet.)
(Why not?) mentally slapping myself because I knew I sounded like a little girl pouting.
In response he stretched out his wing and kind out wrapped it around me awkwardly, something I doubted a normal bird would do. (Your getting good I'm not denying that, but one good afternoon doesn't mean you've mastered all the subtleties yet. On the off chance something goes wrong I don't want a wild lion, tiger or bear…)
(Oh my,) the words slipping out on principle and earning me the dirtiest look he was capable of.
(As I was saying I don't want anything dangerous roaming the streets in case you lose control. Your brother isn't exactly thrilled with what we're doing to begin with and one of us having to hunt you down and stop you isn't going to help matters.)
(So your trying to take the fun out of being able to become any animal I want?)
(No I'm just trying to limit the odds of mass panic in case the instincts run away from you.) Before I could say anything he cut me off, (and this is nothing against you Jazz, your going to be great at this, but everyone loses it a little the first time they change into a new body. Over time it gets easier, you have a better idea what to expect and you learn how to anticipate the rush and I just want to give you a good base to work with before we get bigger and meaner You also have to remember it takes physical contact to absorb the DNA, are you really ready to walk into some of those pens as a normal human?)
The last part kind of hit me in the chest, I'd more or less forgotten that part of the process. It was true I wanted to add a few new bodies to my inventory but there's a difference between wanting to be something and walking up to it and touch it. (So let me guess, rodents?)
(Not a chance, most rodents are sugar rushes with four legs,) a hint of a laugh in his voice. (Actually I've been doing some checking at the zoo, I was thinking maybe a horse or a deer, you know something that probably won't try and kill anything but is still large enough to have a generally calm demeanor.)
(So why not just go with an elephant?)
(Because it can still go wild and a rampaging elephant is a little more noticeable than a crazed horse. Of course if you have something else in mind I'm open to hearing it.)
(I don't know,) closing my eyes and trying to remember the animals I'd seen there after my last trip with Danny. I had to click off more than a few animals because I wasn't willing to go after some of them, some I knew he wouldn't let me try, and others I just didn't want to deal with. But finally I did find one that he might agree to, (what about a fox?)
(Excuse me,) cocking his head to the side.
(Well they're kind of small so if I lose it it's not like I can really hurt anyone, and they're predators so they have to have some confidence but at the same time given their size they have to have some caution to them. And while I know it won't be the same as Sally, they're both still canines so some things have to be in common so the body and instincts won't be completely alien. And if nothing else you can lock me in my room till I get a grip on the body so you don't really have to worry about me running away.)
By the time I was done he just looked at me, with an expression I couldn't read, (you've put way to much thought into this,) shaking his head slightly.
(Actually I'm making it up as I go along,) fluffing my feathers.
(All the same, it's not a bad idea, I mean the first thing I became was a cat, and a fox isn't be that different for the most part,) shrugging his shoulders (granted it's a little more wild but otherwise it could be a good preparation for later. Alright lets go get you a fox skin coat,) and I watched him jump off the branch and flap into the sky.
I was a little shocked when he said it but wasn't going to argue and took off after him.
DP Style
"Home," Spectra cooed softly while tapping her boot on the roof and looking over Amity Park's skyline and enjoying the feeling of the sun on her new skin.
"Empress," the voice bringing her back to reality and causing her to turn to him, a smile on her lips as one question had been answered as soon as she had arrived, her powers did indeed work on the living. He was nothing much to look at, but he like all the men in the building who had seen her fell instantly under her power. The women had been another story however, for whatever reason they were completely immune to her power and fled, which was all the better since it would help bring the halfa to her.
"Speak," the pain radiating in her head growing worse.
"Your orders have been fulfilled, the building is empty of those save your followers, and the equipment is ready, we merely need your divine presence to complete your decree."
"Excellent," passing him without bothering to give him a second glance, her mind a buzz with the fortune fate had given her. "What were the odds I'd land in a TV station," she whispered under her breath, "if things work as I hope, I may not have to sacrifice those buffoons after all."
"If that is your desire radiance," Bertrand's voice making her jump slightly as he appeared next to her from where she couldn't say.
"I don't care one way or another Bertrand, they're just a means to an end," doors open to the studio opening before her by two of her early ghost victims. She casually looked around at her scurrying slaves, a smile forming as she once more released the full scope of her power, "are you ready," all eyes on her now.
"We merely wait for you your brilliance," one of the humans spoke as he bowed.
Her smile took on the tiniest hint of cruelty as she sashayed up to the set that was laid out for her, "then let us begin." With an unmatched elegance she seated her self on the plush chair/couch, her legs curled gently hanging off the long chair and looking every bit like a model in a photo shoot. On the opposite side of the room humans scurried right and left to arrange the cameras and finish the various last minute adjustments to the equipment.
"And we're going live," Bertrand barked to the humans and signaling to Penelope, "in five, four, three," and waving his fingers.
"Hello slaves," she purred seductively and looked into the cameras, the feeling of her mind screaming in pain not showing on her face.
DP Style
"This is a bad idea."
"No it's not"
"Yes, it is."
"This'll work."
"No it won't"
"GUY STOP IT," Danny barked turning away from his door and to his two friends who had been arguing about what to do about Val for the last few hours and wanting nothing more than to leave them both outside and sleep for a few days. "This is my call," his voice weary, "not yours and I don't know what I want to do yet."
"But Danny," Tucker argued waving his hands in the air, "an ally is an ally."
"And this is one you just happen to have a crush on and is, oh wait, completely insane," Sam snapped for what was easily the tenth time.
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT," his eyes taking on a green glow, "I know your trying to help but your not so give it up."
"Danny," Tucker started.
"NO! Whatever it is no," grabbing his door knob, "just go away for a while and let me think about this ok."
"But," Tucker started.
"Park...naked…upside down in a tree."
"Right shutting up."
"Finally," sighing an walking in the door.
"JJJJJJJAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK!" his mothers call ringing through the house and she waved a piece of loudly humming equipment in front of her husbands face while he stared into space in the living room, Sam and Tucker right behind him out of concern for his parents.
"Mom," the half ghost's voice full of concern as he ran over to his parents, any of the thousands of things that could've gone wrong flashing through his mind.
"Danny," Maddie's voice near somewhere between hysterics, intrigue and the odd calm that came over her when she went after ghosts. "Something's wrong with your father."
"I got that much," as came up next to her, both now behind him as she joined the three teenagers.
"He was just walking through the room," her voice barley audible over the whirr of the machine, "and then he stopped, I can't seem to get him out of it."
"I understood 'room, stop, and get out'," counting off on his fingers, "can you turn that thing off or down," pointing at the machine in her hand.
"Oh right," fiddling with the equipment, the hum soon stopping, and a new sound coming the ears of the teens."
"Come to me child, I'm waiting for you," Spectra voice instantly recognizable to the three, "I know you can hear me come to me, I want you alone, all others should stay where they are for now." Out of instinct Danny darted around his father, ready to go ghost in case she attacked, only to run in front of the TV screen and stare directly into it, her powers ensnaring him as they had his father.
"Danny what's gotten into you," his mother snapped running over to him out of concern only to find him as mesmerized as his father. "Not you too," her hands covering her mouth, the beginning of panic creeping into her voice as the situation began to escape her.
"This is not good," Sam hissed under her breath as she side stepped the prone Jack Fenton and looked at Danny then to the TV screen the message still playing than back to Danny beginning to put together the pieces of the puzzle. "This is not good Tuck," looking behind her only to find the other boy as frozen as Danny also having she the show.
"Oh this cannot be good," a slight rasp in Maddie's voice as she turned the machine back on and started scanning Danny and shaking her head. "The ecto reading are abnormally high," speaking more to herself than to Sam as she checked the read out.
"WHAT," Sam's voice coming out more a yell than intended as her mind began to race with cover stories to tell the elder ghost hunter.
"It's just like Jack's," sighing and repositioned her mask to hide the fear that was slowly rising for Sam's sake, "whatever is going on with these two is ghostly in origin but I won't be sure what it is till I run some tests."
At the comment Sam sighed in relief having avoided one problem, but in the grand scheme of things it was the smaller of the two facing her. After a few moment Maddie finished running her tests on the three and kissed Jack in the hope it wouldn't be the final time and started her way to the lab to search for clues in the data.
By the time she was out of sight all of Sam's attention was turned to Spectra's message that had largely remained unchanged from the brief snippet she'd heard earlier. "Come to me, all others stay, you're the only one I want so come to me."
"Well this almost painfully vague," rolling her eyes and running her hand through her hair as she looked back at Danny to make she he hadn't moved. "So what are you up to," as she manually turned off the sound and studied the woman on screen to see if see could learn anything. "New cloths, new hair, defiantly a new trick, but absolutely nothing that helps," she sighed and shook her head while sitting on the ground. Or trying to as she felt something hard under a second in accompanied by the volume on the TV rising quickly to deafening levels.
"COME TO ME GHOST HUNTER COME AND PROVE YOUR WORTH TO YOUR QUEEN."
"Crap," Sam hissed and fumbled with the remote trying to find the mute button on the overly complicated Fenton Remote, or at least that's what it said in tape at the top. But by the time it was done it was to late, Danny had already shifted to his ghost form and started phasing through the ceiling by the time she turned around. To make matters worse Jack and Tucker were heading towards the door, more than likely to the same destination as Danny.
"Of course she couldn't just say Danny could she," the goth hissed, "she had to say ghost hunter," as she tried to get in front of the pair and block their escape route, only to discover that despite the older Fenton's size he was good deal faster than she had originally thought and had vanished before she could take two steps in his direction. "Oh I am not getting beat by all three," jumping over to the couch and reaching behind it and grabbing the Jack-A-Nine-Tails she knew was normally back there. "Your getting back here," lashing the whip forward, the tendrils unfurling after a second and encasing him before he reached the door followed by an ecto discharge that rendered the boy unconscious.
"Sorry about that Tuck," pushing a button on the whip to recoil it while running over to him to make sure he hadn't been accidentally hurt. By the time she was at his side she heard the unmistakable sound of the Fenton RV tearing out down the street. "This is not turning out to be one of my better days," shaking her head, "I'm going to need a lot of help here," looking down at her friend. "I better call Jazz and hope her armor's still ready for bat…tle…" grabbing the bridge of her nose as she remembered the condition of the suit after the last usage. Before she could even give the thought words her cell phone went off , "spookular."
By the time she flipped open the phone she had a good guess what she'd hear, "let me guess problem?"
"So I'm guessing it's not just me," Jazz sighed, her voice a mix of anger and confusion.
"Only if your seeing our old guidance councilor on TV and a bunch of frozen males looking at her."
"That and Tobias just tore out of here like something was trying to eat him and let's just say I wasn't in a position to go after him."
For a second she almost asked what the other girl meant but let it drop, "great I was hoping he was immune to this," she sighed and closed her eyes.
"Please don't say what I think your going to say."
"Ok then your brother and dad weren't just put under her spell and headed down to wherever she is."
"I asked you not to tell me that, so what do we do?"
"Your asking me?" a wave of disbelief washing over the goth.
"You've been at this longer than me so I'm assuming you have a plan for kicking this ladies tail."
"Lets just say this is a new trick for Spectra," starting to pace, "where are you any way?"
"A few miles from the zoo at a pay phone and feeling a little exposed given how little I'm wearing, we were going to grab a few new forms, looks like I still will, only without his help."
"I think there are some more important things going on here," running her fingers through her hair.
"This lady has my brother, my dad, and my beast friend in her power, I have to try and stop and given a choice between gun and claws, I'm going with claw. In and out will only take me about ten minutes if I'm not subtle, and given the weirdness going on I don't think I'll need to be. As soon as I'm done I'll head back in your direction."
For a second Sam considered arguing but relented with a sigh, "meet at Bucky's we'll figure out where to go from there, chances are it's in the message that's playing on all the TV stations."
"Done and done…oh," the comment stopping Sam from clicking off the phone, "I have a small cache of weapons up stairs in the ops center just in case, you might want to go through it. If nothing else find the canister marked claw, I'm going to need it."
"Claw, got it thanks Jazz, see you in a few."
"Count on it," the phone going dead a moment later.
"Appreciate the offer on gear but I don't think I need it," running her hands over her backpacks shoulder straps and walking up stairs to the command center. As soon as she shut the door she shrugged off she jacket, the black sleeves of her hazmat suit on display. A few moments later the rest of her normal attire joined the jacket on the ground revealing a slightly modified version of the suit she wore to Hagsepla. While the former was essentially the same kind wore by the Fenton's with black being the main body with purple gloves, boots and collar this version was more a creation of Sam. Her body of her shirt was sold black while her sleeves, starting at the shoulder, were dark purple ending just before her wrists. The pants were still black but adorning each thigh was a series of three dark purple slash marks starting at the back of her leg and moving down around to the front. Her shoes, that had been hidden in her boots, were the same black as the rest of her suit and better suited for combat.
In her mind Sam could almost see the last few months that gone into the work on her creations as she pulled out the final piece's of her suit. Ever since the ghosts had started attacking she knew one day Danny wouldn't be there to help her and she was determined not to be some damsel in distress when it happened. She'd spent hours in her families private gym as she tried to rehone her skills as an armed and unarmed fighter. Nights in her room as she scoured books on ghosts and technical manuals and attempting to put them all to memory. Any time her parents were gone she'd pull out her suit or her 'toys' as she liked to call them and continue tweaking them on the off chance she'd need them.
"Moments like now," she whispered to herself pulling the black gloves on and slipping the dark purple belt around her waist, the weight of the equipment within making itself known, but not enough to hinder her in a fight. Sighing, a slight hint of trepidation running through her, she started checking her gear, or more precisely it was the Fenton's gear, at least in origin. "I really hope this doesn't blow up in my face," steadying a slight tremor that started running over her with a deep breath.
The process of examining her equipment was almost a dance as she pulled her pistol from the holster on her back and clicking on the power. After a second the all black sci-fi style gun lit up as panels and groves took on a soft red light, a sign it was powered up. With an ease born of practice her hands race over the small indicators as they displayed power levels, beam settings, discharge options and several other choices born from the Fenton's workshop. The gun itself, like much of her other gear, was custom made combining various elements of the Fenton's weapons and compacting it and modifying it into it's present form. Even with all the work she had put into it the real credit had went to the people she'd commissioned to make it for her, one of the benefits to being rich. Thankfully her grandmother had been willing to help supply the funds since she wasn't sure she could figure out a way to get the money from her parents.
After a few seconds she holstered the gun, once more secure that it was in perfect order and in turn pulled the rod on the right side of her belt. Like the gun it was black and also glowed from various groves and patches when the power was turned on, only it was a deep blue as apposed to red. A slight application of pressure later and it came to life, a long single coil of glowing metal shooting out of one end till it hit the ground. A quick snap of the wrist sent a tremor out along the coil of the altered Jake-A-Nine-Tails letting her know more than the read out that it was ready. A moment later the coil sucked back into the grip of the weapon and retook it's place on her hip while she removed it's neighbor on the left side.
As soon at the power was on the black metal glowed a muted muddy orange and one end erupted in an orange beam of ecto energy, followed moments later by the other end. Unlike the other equipment Sam hadn't really bothered trying to modify the design of the ecto staff, it was already perfect when Maddie had made the original. The only real change was slightly lighter, a little more efficient when it came to power, and the sides could be ignited independently of each other.
Extinguishing the weapon she holstered it and sighed, her nerve failing her for a moment. "I really never thought I'd have to use these," running her fingers through her hair. "I was hoping I could just leave these hidden away, something to look at an say, well I have 'um in case I need 'um. Heck they'd probably still be down there if it wasn't for David," a chill running over her body, "no way that body stealing rapist ghost is getting the drop on me again." Ever since Tobias had told them about what the ghost had done in life she'd been on edge and had taken to carrying her equipment just in case he decide to fall back into old habits, but she still never thought she'd really need it. Growling to herself, "this probably isn't the time for a field test, but it has to be done, I might've had enough sense not to do it on another planet, but here and now is a good a time as any."
Taking a final deep breath she pulled out the mask hidden away in the backpack and slipped it on, the black material hiding her face away from the world, leaving only a small visor to see through. In a moment of vanity she looked over at the various reflective surfaces of the room and took herself in, the material clinging to her body like a second skin leaving little to the imagination, yet completely hiding her identity. "Maybe the black and purple are to obvious, they are my favorite colors," absently to herself, "to late now," shrugging it of.
She took three steps towards the door then slapped herself in the head, "right Jazz's thing," and turning on her heal. It took her a few seconds to find the weapons cache hidden behind a console . Given the placement in the tight space Sam guessed either Danny or Tobias had helped in the placement of the equipment. It took a few minutes of digging but she finally found a small black canister, about the size and shape of a film tube with 'claw' written in gold. "Huh, well I've seen stranger weapons in this house," pocketing the device in her belt.
Taking a finally look around the weapon toting goth ran down to the second floor and to the second set of stairs then stopped having caught a look at her self in the mirror. "Right if I go out like this I'm going to be shot at aren't I," pulling her mask off, "so what's plan B."
Scratching the back of her head she ducks into Jazz's room a faint memory coming to the surface. "Lets see if it's even here," opening up the closet and fingering through the older girls clothing till she found what she hoped was there. "This I can work with," pulling out a high end black trench coat and slipping it The coat was a surprisingly good fit and ended just below her knees, just enough to hide her suit and keep anyone from becoming suspicious if they say her.
"Hope she doesn't get ticked off about this," a small smile on Sam's lips as she slipped her mask and gloves into one of the pockets of the coat and headed down stairs. "Mrs. Fenton," she barked on the way to the door, "I'm sorry I need to go, I have to make sure my parents are ok."
"OK Sam, be careful," the older ghost hunter's voice surprisingly calm as it rang up from the basement.
"I don't think that's an option," she sighed walking over to Tucker's backpack and pulling out his collapsible motorized scooter and out into the street and started off towards Bucky's hoping Jazz would already be there and that the situation would somehow work itself out before she got there.
DP Style
"This is taking to long," Spectra hissed floating off the couch and past the cameras, her head screaming in pain, "he should've come to me by now, are you sure the cameras are on?"
"Yes magnificence, everything is operating at peak performance," her unseen slaves voice rang out from a speaker.
"Well obviously it isn't so find out what the problem is," her voice making the assembled men quiver in fear and self loathing at having displeased their mistress. A choirs of "at once your radiance ," and the like filling the air. "AND SOME BODY GET ME AN ASPIRIN!"
"It won't work," Bertrand's voice making her flinch, "your not…"
"I know, I'm not human and the drugs don't work, it would still make me feel better."
"Then I'll bring them to you," the green blob bowing low and melting through the floor.
Sighing and rubbing her temples, "why can't I get rid of this freaking headache."
"I don't know mistress," the new voice making her spin around in equal parts fear and relief. Before her stood Danny, kneeling on the ground, "just know I was summoned."
"You serve me?" caution mixed with excitement in her voice, between her experience with him and the stories she heard from others she knew it could be a trick.
"In all things my queen."
Her mind raced as she looked for an appropriate test before settling on one of the camera men, "kill him," pointing at the man.
"Of course," his eyes shifting to the man, his hands glowing green before releasing the energy, fully intent on doing as he was ordered. The blast however was intercepted by a ball of fur dropping from the rafters, a ball that screamed in pain as the energy collided with him and knocked him just to the left of the human.
"WHAT IS THAT!" Penelope roared as the ball of fur began sprouting wings as it rolled.
"His name is Tobias your exquisiteness."
"Why is he here?"
(You called me your brilliance,) his thoughts invading her mind.
"I did not and where is that coming from," the redheaded ghosts head jerking from side to side looking for the source.
(You summoned the ghost hunter, I have that distinction now, thus I came your radiance,) his now hawk head bowing low as he got to his feet.
"Interesting," new ideas flashing in Spectra's mind, "you know him Daniel?"
"He's dating my sister," a great deal of venom in his voice.
(We're friends Danny that's….) the thoughts cut off as the doors to the room burst open catching the assembled by surprise.
"I'M HERE TO SERVE HOT MAMA," Jack's voice bouncing off the walls as he barreled toward the ghost woman.
Spectra sighed and held the bridge of her nose as the as her raging headache increased, "I should've worded that message a little more carefully."
DP Style
"Come on Jazz what's taking you so long," Sam hissed to herself as her foot tapped the ground as she waited in the alley next to Bucky's. "I'm just a little bit exposed here," as she wrapped the coat around herself a little tighter to hide her equipment and clothing.
(Well I'm sorry but it took a while to figure out how to slip in to a gator pit in broad daylight without getting spotted or eaten.) Sam didn't have to look for the morphed girl as the hobby dropped down next to her, (and that's my jacket isn't it?)
"Sorry, I was running low on choices," slipping a little further back and into the shadows of the buildings.
(It's ok,) hopping over to her, (you ready to go get the boys back?)
"Yeah except for one little problem, we have no idea where they are."
(Actually I think I might, I saw a little path of destruction on the flight over, given the tread marks it's either my dad driving the RV…)
"I'd say a good bet."
(…or someone's joyriding in a tank.)
"One problem solved, to bad it's the easy one."
(Well we'll figure out the next one when we come to it, and the longer we wait the less chance we have of finding the others.) Looking up at the sky, (if you give me a lift I'll guide you from the sky.)
"You sure you couldn't turn into something I could ride," picking the bird up.
(Sorry I don't have anything that would be inconspicuous.)
"You fly, your brother fly's, your boyfriend fly's, why can't I fly?"
(Not my boyfriend and not my concern, now throw me.) Growling something unintelligible the goth tossed her up, the bird righting herself after a moment and soaring of past the building. A few moments later Sam scooted onto the streets in hot pursuit of the bird, Jazz's mental words guiding her down the road and through the maze that was Amity Park.
It only took her a few minutes to pick up on the subtle clues that Jack had driven threw the area, damaged signs, turned over mailboxes, cracked side walks, and people still in a mild cases of shock. "And people say women are bad drivers." After about fifteen minutes the two came to a stop as they spotted the Fenton RV.
(End of the line.)
"So I noticed," the words barley audible by humans but perfectly clear to the bird over head, "so how do we play this?"
(First I need to recharge, I'm tired and I need a few minutes of rest,) the bird doing a quick circle in the sky, (meet me on the roof across the street.)
"See you there," watching the transformed girl fly to a roof, following her up a few moments later after she'd folded the scooter and slipped into the building and taking the elevator to the roof. Thankfully all the insanity next door had made it easy for her to slip by without much notice. "So," spotting the redhead looking over the ledge, "you have a plan because I've been making things up as I go along."
"Go in, get them out, hope to see tomorrow."
"I was thinking of something a little more detailed."
"Then no," crossing her arms and looking back at her, "we're in a lot of trouble aren't we?"
"Are my parents perky to the point of making me insane?"
"That bad huh?"
"Oh yeah," walking over to her and sitting on the ledge while trying to calm her mind to all the things that Spectra could be doing to Danny at that very moment. Shaking it off she donned her gloves and pulled her mask out and slipped off Jazz's coat, ready to go the second either one had an idea.
Jazz POV
"New costume," the words coming out a little shaky in spite of the control I was trying to exert over my emotions. I was trying to put on a strong face, but the truth was I was terrified, I didn't really know what I was doing and unlike the pervious times I didn't really have anyone else to fall back on. All the others times I knew if something went wrong I had Danny or Tobias or even my parents to keep me safe, but now I had to rely on myself and on Sam. If I was one of the others, I probably have more faith in Sam at the moment, but I could tell from a glace that she was in the same spiral of fear and doubt I was even, if she did try to hide it. Just like me she usually had someone else to fall back on and now she had to rely on herself and wasn't all that sure of her own skills.
"Yeah," blowing a stray hair up with her mouth, "I thought I needed something that didn't scream Fenton."
"So instead you have something that screams goth?"
"I looked in the mirror today and realized it was kind of a dead give away too, no time to change now."
"And the weapons, I don't recognize them," normally not knowing something they made didn't concern me given how fast their ideas came and went but the color made me wonder.
"Long story, lets just say having money has it's up side."
I shook my head at that, it wasn't like we didn't have enough secrets between all of us already, "if we live I'd like to hear it," looking up at the sky. "Well I'll be," a smile forming on my lips, "birdie was right, the sky does hold all the answers to our questions."
"What are you talking about?"
"Over there," pointing off into the distance past the building that we hoped had the others.
"Crap," my partner hissed standing up having seen what I did, "the last thing we need right now is Val blowing something up."
"Then we have to get her attention, cover your face, if I do this right she'll be interested in us real quick." I wasn't sure if Valerie's mask could really pick up morph energy but I was about to find out and called on the Hobby's DNA and started to change. Hands turned to wings, toes to talons, a mouth to a beak, and all the while I grew smaller while my eyes grew sharper, and I didn't have any doubt she saw me given how fast she was moving towards us.
Under her breath I could hear Sam hiss, "great the last person I wanted to see today," while she pulled a mask over her head that hid her face and hair.
(She also might be the only chance we have of getting to the oth…,) my thoughts trailing off as I saw her point what was essentially a canon at us, (…or she might try and kill us.)
"Alright ghost, I don't know what your plan is, but I'm here and your going to regret it," as she fired off a blast at us. Before I could even flap my wings enough to get into the sky I saw Sam reach around to her back pull out a black gun that now had an eerie red glow and fire and equally red volley from it that collided with Val's shot in mid air neutralizing it.
(You might be a better shot than my mom,) the words just slipping out of me yet staying on a tight beam so only Sam could hear me.
"High praise," she whispered back, then in a louder voice, "WE'RE NOT HERE TO FIGHT YOU," while raising her arms, the gun now hanging freely in her hand, her finger away from the trigger.
"Like I'm suppose to believe that," the red clad girl hissed, her boards vibrations hitting my in the chest as she came closer.
"You and the Fenton's don't have a monopoly on ghost hunting in this town." I was a little shocked when I heard it, not so much the words as the voice, it wasn't Sam's, at least not to the human ear, the girl obviously had some kind of filter build into mask, and she only knew what else.
"Yeah well," the comment catching her off guard," that thing next to you is a ghost," leveling her gun at me.
"They have they're uses," a quick shift in Sam's hand brought the weapon back in firing position and leveled at the other girls head, "and right now I value her more that you so point that monstrosity else where."
For a second I wasn't sure how it would end as the tension build between us, but thankfully Valerie relented and shouldered the gun. "I don't know who you are and I don't care, this is my city, get out."
"Your not one to make those demands," Sam lowering her weapon with a few fancy spins you'd generally only see movie cowboys do. In that moment it was obvious there was more going on between the pair than surface hostilities. I knew Sam didn't like Valerie, I also knew it was in part because she felt threatened by the girl and the attraction my brother felt for her. But it was also something else, Sam seemed to have some kind of rage that was focused in her, but with only body language to go on it was hard to get any more precise. Val on the other hand was acting very protectively, but there was defiantly an under current of hostility from somewhere else, but I couldn't be sure from where.
In the end I didn't have time to go deeper into their psyches as the outside world decided to break up the moment. From the other building several men started running out, exactly what each was yelling I couldn't be sure given how many were talking but I got the message, "kill the girl."
DP Style
On a tight beam to Sam, (we need to get out of here.)
"Why it's just a few…," whatever else Sam was going to say stopped when someone down below started firing his gun.
"What is wring with those guys," Val barked and shot forward onto the roof and out of the line of fire.
"I don't know," Sam hissed sarcastically as she duck down, "maybe what's happening to all the other men in the city is happening to them too!"
"Great so what are we suppose to do, those are living people down there, we can't hurt them."
(Yet she has no problem hunting down the dead ones,) the thoughts staying between Sam and Jazz.
"Look if nothing else we know this is the right place," a weird calm coming over Sam as the bullets continued to bounce off the side of the building, "and if we don't do something fast innocent people are going to get hurt."
As Val checked her weapon she spat out, "I'm open to suggestions here."
"Lets put ego aside for a second and assume that entire building is full of men with gun, and more than likely ghosts, if either one of us goes in alone we probably won't come out alive. On the other hand we hit it together, well the odds are still gunna be against us."
Another bullet pop came close to Val, "yeah I can work with that."
"Alright then we have to hit Spectra, whatever's going on is her fault, she has to know how to stop it."
"Huh, I use to have a guidance councilor at school by that name."
Sam ignored the comment and looked at Jazz and in hush tones, "think you can cause a distraction down there that'll get us in but not hurt anybody?"
(Maybe, I only have a handle on two bodies, and neither one's going to be useful, but I might have something that'll work.)
"Then do it and be careful."
(Don't have to tell me twice,) as she hopped over to the side, not confident enough in the cover the building provided to fully fly.
"Where's it going," Val's gun trained on Jazz, a small red dot now on the back of the birds head.
"To make sure we have a way in, that board of yours have enough power to carry two people?"
"Should, but in case you hadn't noticed it's not exactly safe for us out there."
"It will be soon, just be ready to go on my signal."
With a sneer, "I'll be ready just don't get in my way once we're inside," it took all of Sam's restraint not to throw the girl over the side after she said it.
Down below them Jazz had demorphed in an alley, a wave of fatigue washing over her after having morphed so many times and flown as fast as possible. "Hope birdie is right about this getting easier as times goes on, cause I'm not sure I can keep going at this pace much longer." Despite that she knew she had a part to play and had every intention of fulfilling it, even if her knees did feel like jelly. With a deep breath she forced all the other fears and emotions out and focused on one of her two new sets of DNA. Unlike what she had told Sam, she hadn't actually gone into an alligator pit, she'd thought about it but when the time came she just didn't have the nerve, that and given how they were all roaming around their habitat it looked like the zoo keepers had hopped them up on stimulants. She was pretty sure one of the forms wouldn't be much use, but she just wanted to say she'd managed to touch a komodo dragon and have proof that she'd done it. The other form she'd managed to get though was probably a bit more useful in the current situation, or at least she hoped so.
Like with the Hobby and German Shepherd the changes were fast, but she was still able to make out each and everyone. First her eye sight decreased slightly while her hearing perked up, but all things considered the changes were minimal compared to her previous forms. The small change was followed by a large one as her arms extended and bulked up, muscles she didn't know she had bulged and ripped through out her body. Her fingers grew out and became slightly thicker as the rest of her body expanded as muscle continued to appear on her. Her legs shrank a bit while the rest of her body grew and a fine red fur began sprouting form her body and quickly enveloped her. Before she knew it her sense of balance left her and she dropped to the hands, the now thinker palms easily taking it as if the rough ground were nothing. Her face lost feeling for a few moments as her skin grew thinker and more resistant while her teeth and jaw shifted and changed but adapted to the new sensations after a moment. Then the final change hit, the one she had found strange in the initial morph, her red fur grew pale till it hit white, except for a strip she couldn't see on her back, that had a rather distinctive look to it.
(Ok here it comes,) she moaned to herself as she readied herself for the instincts, unsure just how strong they'd be and determined to control them. When they hit she was taken back, the mind was calm, it wasn't looking for a fight like she had suspected, it was just calm and curious as to where it was, but other wise it didn't really care one way or another. It knew it couldn't be hurt, it knew few things would dare challenge it, the only thing that slightly made it nervous was the noise from the crowd.
(Right,) Jazz mentally slapping herself, the total serenity of the body having more of a hold on her than she thought for a moment. (Remember, your big, your strong, don't hurt anyone,) she reminded herself as she walked forward, her fingers curling under her out of instinct as she knuckle walked her way towards the controlled people.
"Kill the girl, the great one commands it," one of the men barked as the assembled continued to fire.
(Not on my watch,) the words not going any further than Jazz as she ducked her head out, the sheer number making her nervous, (this is going to be a bad day.) Taking a deep breath she hopped out and roared, "HHUUUURRRROOOHHHHH!" The sound instantly cutting through the crowd and making them go silent as they started at her in shock.
Up above them, Sam and Val were equally shaken, but given the momentary laps in fire Val dared a look below to see what it was. "There's a white gorilla below us," a total amount of disbelief in her voice, enough to make Sam take a quick look herself.
"Actually that'd be a Purpleback gorilla and her name is Delilah, or it is now, not to mention our way in," then as an after thought, "you can't shoot her either."
"These are the kind of days I wish I stayed in bed," Val moaned banging her head lightly on the roof of the building.
"Ditto," Sam hissed under her breath and grabbing a final look at Jazz and smiling under her mask.
(Here's goes nothing,) looking at the men and focusing on all them, (GO HOME!) In response they just stared at her in disbelief none believing they were seeing a talking ape. (Yeah I didn't think that was going to work.)
With a growl filling the air she charged the men, a faint hope that they'd disburse when faced with her still lingering in her mind, a dream that soon faded as they trained their respective weapons on her. However getting a shot off proved a more daunting task as the two hundred pound beast came down on them with surprising speed and barreled through the sea of meat puppets and knocked more than a few off their feet and onto the ground.
(Alright nice and easy,) Jazz hissed one last time to herself as she grabbed one of the men by the collar and tossed him up with one hand, only to send him sailing into the air like a rag doll till he collided with several others and brought them all to the ground. (Ok mental note, be very careful this body is way to strong.) The thought however didn't really have time to take hold as she pushed her way through the crowd and occasionally swung one of her arms out and easily forced whoever it hit backwards. And more than that she could feel the sickening crack of bone as her arm's collided with them in spite of her best attempts to be gentle.
"What your monkey trying to do," Val snapped looking at Sam. From above she could see the men being flung around by the great ape, seemingly without care or concern for their well being.
"Giving us an opening or had you missed the fact that we aren't being shot at anymore."
"BUT SHE'S KILLING THOSE PEOPLE!"
"If they were dead they wouldn't be moaning in pain, and the longer we have this conversation the less time they have to get medical help so we need to get going." With a grunt she pulled the red clad girl to her feet and pointed to the building, "don't bother with the door just blow a hole in the window now lets get moving things aren't going to stay calm forever."
For a moment Val considered arguing with the other ghost hunter, but the way the other masked woman carried herself stopped her. She didn't doubt that she could take the interloper, but there was something about her that made her wary, and she was right after all, those men didn't seem to be stopping despite the beast's attack, so their was a good chance this wouldn't stop till they got to the ghost responsible for all this.
"Fine," she hissed under her breath as she jumped into the air, her hover board unfolding from her feet as if by magic, "but once we're inside stay out of my way."
"I have every intention of that," nodding her head slightly as Sam hopped onto the back of the board behind the other teenager.
With a jerk the board shot forward, "then try not to fall off!" It only took a moment for the pair to soar into the sky, and less time for Val to aim and fire her weapon, opening a large gap in the side of the building and showing those below with a rain of glass, metal and other construction materials. By the time the debris hit the ground Val and Sam were already inside the TV station.
"Thanks for the lift," Sam hissed hopping down.
With a fair amount of venom in her voice, "stay out of way and we'll call it even," the ghost hunter's words fading in the distance as she took off through the open door and flew down the hall.
"You're the one that needs to stay out of my way," the words barely a whisper as Sam darted into the hall and headed the other direction, not sure where she was going, but having a good idea Spectra would end up finding her.
DP Style
"Well this isn't going as planned," Spectra muttered to herself, one of her servants having just told her about what was going on outside. "What's a monkey doing out here?"
(Ape actually your splendor,) Tobias interjected now perched on a camera, his thoughts going to her alone, (and it sounds like Jazz.)
Raising her eyebrow in curiosity and surprise, "so you know what that creature is then? How to deal with it?"
(Yes on both your eminence,) bowing his head.
Without bothering to look at him, "then do so, prove your loyalty to me," extending her arm, the lights catching the silver spider web pattern on her arm and making them glow and shine.
(At once,) bowing his head and spreading his wing and flapping towards the door that was opened for him by one of her guards.
A few feet from her and dazed Danny had already put much of the one sided conversation together, "she won't be alone," his loyalty to her compelling him to tell her everything.
"What Daniel?" the spectral beauty looking at the half ghost.
"She won't be alone, others will come to find out what's happened if they haven't already."
"Oh yeah," Jack barked in his usual exuberant tone, "Maddie'll burst in that door any second guns a blaze'n looking for me!" A semi smug look on his face, even in her power, the other man couldn't help but feel proud that he was essentially being fought over by two gorgeous women.
"I really don't need this today," Penelope whimpered holding the bridge of her nose while trying to work through the situation while her head continued to pound. "Alright," she sighed, "fat man take some of my ghosts and protect me from invaders."
"Ghosts," the orange clad man whined, "I don't work with ghosts I, JACK FENTON, shoot them."
"DO AS I SAY DRONE!" the words making everything in the room jump in fear.
"Um…right…you got it hot stuff, lets get going you ghost slime," waving to them as he kicked the door in and charged down the hall, weapons held high in the air.
Spectra shook her head, "that one is going to be a trouble maker," then looked over at Danny, "what do you say we take this someplace else."
"As you desire my empress."
"Bertrand," snapping her fingers, the blob appearing next to her a moment later, "tell Fisto to open a rip back home, we're leaving."
"That might be difficult your extravagance."
"Why?"
"He just left with the ghost hunter," averting his eyes from her.
"Then find him," a growl in her throat, the gelatinous specter vanishing into the floor. "All I want are beauty and slaves that bow to my ever whim as soon as I have them if not before, is that to much to ask?"
Jazz POV
(Sorry, sorry, oh didn't mean to do that, sorry, oh that's going to hurt in the morning, sorry,) at this point I was apologizing nonstop, no matter what I tried to do I ended up completely over powering it. On the plus side however I was managing to maintain control over the body, thanks in large part to the lessons I'd learned earlier today with Tobias. I grabbed a guy by his pant and tore them off him, I hit someone they ended up flying through the air, I stepped on a couple of guys feet and I'm pretty sure they'll need surgery to walk again. But in the end I was making progress most of the people in the way weren't anymore and didn't seem all the interested in moving. (If you guys would get away form me I stop hurting you!)
Even while I was fighting I couldn't help but laugh to myself at the situation. (I'm breaking everything I touch, I'm fighting ghosts, and I have to weigh at least two hundred pounds, I have never been my fathers daughter more than at this moment.)
Regardless of hurting them though I'd managed to come out of the fight relatively unscathed, or as unscathed as I could in a morph. I'd already been shot at least three times, I didn't even know it the first time, a glancing shot off the side of my head, since it barely registered, gorilla skin might not be bullet proof but it was really hard to hurt. The only down side was the other two times, once in my right arm and the other on the same shoulder, the pain wasn't that bad for having a piece of metal go though my skin, but the instincts kinda surged in anger for a second and nearly made me lose control, again thank you Tobias for teaching me control.
Finally thought I was done, or at least done with those outside because I wanted to get going and try and find the others in case they needed me. (This is going to seem weird but thanks for letting me see if I could do this, and again I'm really sorry about hurting you.)
(Don't be,) the words hitting me like a hammer, (they fought for the mistress, there is no greater service.)
(Birdie,) the word slipping out as I spun looking for him, not sure what side he'd be on but having a good idea.
I found him up on the steps to the building, decked out in his deinonychus body, his jaws snapping and a growl filling the air. (Give up Jazz, I don't want to hurt you, but her luxuriousness wants you stopped, and her wish is my only concern.)
(Your being controlled Tobias, come on of everyone in the city I'm the last one you want to hurt.)
(I know, that's why I want you to stand down. If your not a threat to the magnificence then we can end this now without anyone else getting hurt,) I could see his claws tapping on the steps in aggravation and anticipation.
(I can't do that and you know it, your boss has control of you, my family and a good chunk of the men in the city and I have to stop her and you know it, part of you even wants me to,) my fur bristling as I could feel a rage that was partly mine and partly the gorilla's building inside of me.
(Then we have a problem,) his fingers flexing.
(Yeah I guess we do, but it's different this time,) loosening my shoulders up, (last time I was inexperienced kid in armor, now I can fight on your level,) baring my teeth and roaring.
(A fur coat doesn't put you on my level little girl,) answering me with a snarl of his own and charging towards me with a speed that somehow seemed faster now that I was on the receiving end again. For a moment the gorillas instincts took over as I reared up on my hind legs while pounding my chest and roaring in a bluff. A move that did little as he leapt at me before I could even respond, his hand claws dug into face while he kicked me in the chest, both middle claws digging in for a brief moment before using the power of the kick to jump back into a flip and skid back along the ground, a trail of blood coming from his claws.
With a growl filling the air I grabbed my gut, the claws easily cutting into my flesh and blood slowly flowing from the two puncture marks. (Damn it birdie,) pulling my hand away, the wound not as bad as I thought, yet by far the worst I had received since going ape.
(You should've been smart Jazz,) shooting forward again, (then I could've let you live.) Using legs that could kick in a door he leapt into the sky, between the shock and the pain I couldn't react fast enough and watched him do a half spin in the air then vanish from sight, unfortunately that wasn't a good thing. A moment later I felt a sharp pain and weight on my back as he landed and dug his claws into me. (I'll make this as painless as I can,) as I felt him shift on my back and knew I had to get him off fast.
I let my control on the gorilla's instincts go, realizing that it would have a better idea of how to handle the situation than I did. Next thing I knew one of my arm was grabbing towards Tobias' head and having the tips of my fingers bit while the other arm snuck around and grabbed his tail. With a snarl I grabbed it and yanked, the strength that once been a hindrance now my salvation, sending Tobias off my back, along with some fur, flesh and muscle that was stuck in his talons. He landed on his back a few feet away with a bounce only to recover a moment.
(Your learning, to bad it's not fast enough queen kong,) despite his bravado I could tell by the way his arm hung at his side and the kink in his tail the landing had hurt him.
Bringing my hand back to my stomach, (bring it on raptorzilla,) baring my teeth.
DP Style
Val zipped through the halls as fast as her board could take her, the readout in her mask not telling her much in the way of where ghosts might be.
"Come on it's not that big a building they have to be somewhere," the weight of the gun feeling greater as her agitation grew. She didn't like not knowing what was going on, and liked having others running around that could get in her way even less. "One little read out that's all I need, just one, I can follow a trail from there to the stiff in charge."
"SHE WANTS TO HURT HER HOT PANTINESS," the scream making her lose her balance on her board for half a second before righting herself as Jack jumped into the hallway while his ghostly followers materialized from the walls and surrounded her.
For a second Val just stared at him, not totally believing what her had just said, "you have got to be kidding me."
"What are you putrid poltergeists waiting for get her!" raising his gun into the air.
"Well I haven't seen this one before," back flipping off her board as part of the ghosts jumped where she had been, while other fired off ecto blasts. "This is going to be too easy," squeezing off a few rounds from her gun into the crowd on her board taking them out of the fight. She didn't have time to congratulate herself those as those that fired at her continued to do so. The shots however didn't hit their mark as she dodged and weaved past the blasts, her years of martial arts training paying off.
The amount of danger she was in however dropped drastically as Jack joined the fight, firing off his weapon in an attempt to stun the younger ghost hunter. Due to his aim and wildness of the shots however all he managed to hit were the walls and the ghosts that momentarily worked for him, the specters being blasted through the walls by the over sized weapon.
"Well that make things a lot easier," a slight giggle coming from Val, in spite of the danger she was in she couldn't help but find that the humor in being helped by the man that was trying to stop her.
"I um uh," a slight blush on his face, "I meant to do that, Jack Fenton doesn't need the help of any ghost scum to get the job done, he…I'm a man of action, a lone wolf on the prowl…."
"Shut up," Val snapped leaping onto her board then jumping again laying a round kick across his face, fully expecting the heavyset man to drop like a brick, only to discover the man was also as solid as one. With a grunt she hit the ground after her recoil from the fall at his feet and for a second was dazed by the turn of events and the throbbing in her leg.
"Ha and Maddie says I need to lose weight," pumping one arm into the air while pointing his weapon at Val.
"That and a brain implant," she hissed slipping into a leg sweep that allowed her to miss being hit by the mans gun and knock his legs out from under him, bringing him to the ground with a heavy thud, and a rumble to the floors. "Part of me is almost sorry to do this, the other part's going to enjoy this," continuing the leg sweep and using the momentum to rise to her feet and back flip a few feet away.
Before she could even conceive another attack on the downed man she was struck in the back, a blast of white sparks shooting out in all directions from the hit and forcing her to her knees. "On knees hunt-hunt, pretty lady say no-no," the words coming out slow with a vague cliché gangster accent as the sound of knuckles cracking filled the air. Moaning from the hit Val managed to get a quick look at her attacker, a ghost that looked almost comical, his was essentially a normal looking ghost except his left side was thin and almost sickly looking while his right was heavily muscled to the point of looking freakish. "Pretty lady say hunt-hunt go bye-bye, Fisto make crush-crush."
DP Style
Sam sighed internally, partially to relive the stress, but mostly to breakup the boredom of the situation. For the last few minutes all she'd been doing is wandering the halls, unable to find any clue as to where Spectra was or where she hoped Danny might be. Initially she'd stalked the halls like an animal on the prowl, doing her best not to make a sound and to blend into the shadows but now had chosen to conserve her energy since there didn't seem to really be anyone in the building aside from herself and Val.
"Figures I decide to play the hero and I can't even find the fight," shaking her head, no longer even bothering to keep her voice low, almost hoping someone would hear her. "Maybe I should've just left this to Val, I'm no hero, I'm just a sidekick at best, whatever made me think I could do this."
"I don't know, what," the voice making her jump in shock before she whirled around only to be kicked to the ground by a green ghost ninja.
Rasping lightly, "Bertrand, wonderful," the voice easily recognizable to the despite his form.
"Why don't you be a good little ghost hunter and stay there so I can make this quick and rejoin her eminence before she gets to fresh with the little ghost boy," a twinge of jealousy in his voice.
"So wrong thing to say," her hands moving on automatic as she gripped her whip and lashed it forward, the coil firing out filling the area with a blue glow. With a quick twist of her wrist the coil encased his neck before he had a chance to respond, his belief that she was an easy mark vanishing before his eyes as the energy circulating through the coil disrupted his ectoplasm. With a snarl that belonged more to an animal she pulled back while grabbing the coil with her other hand and pulled back adding more power and ripping the ghost off his feet and slamming him into the ground and dragging him in front of her feet. "Lets have a little talk shall we," a twist of the wrist caused the whip to unfurl from his neck, and with a little flick the coil arced back across her shoulder and loosely coiled around her body.
"Alright nightlight ninja," pulling the other pod off her hip, the orange beam growing from one end a moment later, "your going to answer a few questions or things are going to get ugly."
"Then they're gunna by ugly," smoke enveloping his body even as Sam slashed her blade down into it trying to hit his head. However it became clear as the mist shifted and flowed that Bertrand's was the smoke and he wasn't going to let himself be hurt. After a few moments however he reformed himself back in his ninja form, his sword in his hand.
"Can we go back to the point when nobody knew I was here," slipping into a defensive stance, old instincts clicking onto high gear.
"Stupid question," he snapped leaping into the air, throwing his hand outward shurikens launching from his palm and flying towards her.
"It was rhetorical," gripping the hilt of the whip with her free hand and launching it forward, the whip sliding against her suit till it was free and intercepting the blades with a single swing. Darting forward she met him before he hit the ground, their blades clashing in midair and sending Bertrand back, the tip of his blade hitting the ground having been cut clear through from the ghost hunters saber.
"Lucky shot," the ninja taking on a slimy sheen and changing into a giant wasp, "let's see just how good you really are."
"And me without my bug spray," dropping down into a roll as the ghost tried to stab her with his stinger as he flew over her. Huffing as she rose she lashed out with her whip, the energized metal severing one of his wings as he passed causing him to loose control of his flight for a few moments till it regrew and allowed him to regain control. "Ok plan C," a quick flex of her hands causing the saber and whip to retract and extinguish respectively and slip both back into their compartments on her belt only to pull her gun a second later. Her hands danced over the controls as the metamorphosised ghost dove back at her, what she hoped wee the proper settings being imputed as he drew closer. A guttural grow escaped Sam's lip as Sam arced her back and dropped, the wasp's stinger passing inches over her face, even through the mask the goth could feel the wind beaten by his wings slap her in the face. "That the best you got," jumping back up to her feet and firing off her weapon, the first shot taking off the regrown wing, the next taking off the other, the third removing all right his legs followed by a moment later by two shots for his left. The blasts continued for several seconds, large chunks of the ghost flying right and left taking off more than he could regenerate and heal from.
After a few moments she walked over to him, confident that the now blob Bertrand trying desperately to reform himself. "You have two choices," aiming the gun between the slime ghosts eyes, "one you can tell me where Spectra is, or two," shifting her gun and blowing a hole in the floor nest to his head.
"Oh more of the same," he mocked trying to by time to put himself back together.
"Actually I meant this," tapping on the control panel and firing again, half his regrown arm being torn off as a portal to the ghost zone formed next to him, soliciting a scream of inhuman pain from the ghost. "Good," Sam doing her best to sound tougher than she was, in truth the act of torturing him didn't sit well with her, but she didn't really see another option. "I was told the weapon at this setting would create a portal just small enough to tear a chunk off of you but without the strength to pull you completely through, the technicians could only guess at how painful it would be but from your reaction I'm guessing quite a bit. So," aiming the weapon back at his head, "you want to see how long it'll take for all of you to get sucked in to the ghost zone?"
"I won't betray her, you'll never get anything out of me."
"Yes and she's out here, and in a minute your going to be in the ghost zone. So tell me how long do you think it'll take you get back out here?" A small smile adorned Sam's lips as she saw what she hoped was a sheen of sweat forming on the gelatinous ghost's brow.
Bertrand's eyes shifted back and forth, fear growing in the orbs, the idea of being separated from his beloved Penelope was physically painful. He knew betraying her was an unthinkable and unforgivable crime, but was it better that than being away from her radiance for even a few moments. His jaw shaking, a thousand thoughts popping in his mind, "up stairs, right above us, three floors up, room with the red light on the outside."
"Thank you," slightly dusting herself off and adjusting her gun before holstering it and walking off past him, her mind on what lay ahead. After a few feet however her ears perked up as she heard the subtle sounds of shifting liquid and knew what was to come.
"YOU….," Bertrand never finishing his words as Sam pulled her gun and fired straight back, the weapons new setting opening a larger hole into the ghost zone and sucking the blob into it and out of her hair.
"Oh yeah you are defiantly worth the extra money," rubbing the weapon and reholstering it, "lets hope you do as well for his boss."
Jazz POV
Despite my best efforts not breathing wasn't an option, unfortunately doing so hurt like hell. Tobias' last few kicks had done more damage than I thought, I was just lucky I'd torn his claws off a few moment earlier or my guts would probably be spilling onto the ground. Not to say he hadn't been doing more than his fair share of damage without them, my right arm was numb from the chunk he tore out with his teeth leaving it little more swaying hunk of meat. Of course I'd done some damage myself, his tail now as a ninety degree angle after I'd gotten may hands, it might not have seem like much when I did it, but it was becoming clear without in he wasn't all that balanced which was probably why I was still alive.
Opening his mouth Tobias let out a call I'd only heard in the movies, the noise sending a chill up my spine out of reflex. (You can't keep this forever Jasmine,) the call never stopping but his mental voice growing weaker, (I've taken down bigger and meaner in my life, and you just don't have what it takes to finish me off.)
(There are ways of stopping people without killing them,) pounding the ground with my good hand.
(Normal humans yes, not us,) forcing his weight forward, continually shifting his weight so he moved from side to side to make sure I've have to wait for the last moment to attack or risk missing him. Running wasn't going to do many any good, I knew that, the only way to stop him was to knock him out, which meant spilt second timing on my part.
Our roars intertwined as the distance between us grew shorter and he jumped, and my window of opportunity grew shorter. I watched his teeth grow closer, the light glinting off my blood that adorned them and made my move upper cutting where I hoped he be in a second with my still working left arm. (Oh crap,) the words slipping out as the world seemed to slow down for a split second as I missed him, my arm going up a second before his jaw came into contact with me. But where I missed him, he didn't miss me, his face collided with my forearm, cutting gashes into the limb and turning more of my white fur red and probably saving my life.
For a second the instincts screamed at me fling him lose, but my human mind was somehow cutting through all the primal needs and staying in control of the body and recognized an opportunity had presented itself. Tobias didn't care about how he'd gotten to me, he was still clawing with his hands, tearing chunks of my body away and kicking me with legs that might as well have been jackhammers. Without a sound to give my intentions away and fighting through the pain I slammed my face down onto the top of his head, forcing his teeth deeper into my arm and giving myself one major headache. (Ok Jazz, try that again and this time get it right,) hissing at myself internally, the pain in my face proving I either wasn't head butting him right, or dinosaur skulls are a lot harder than gorilla skulls. This time with a roar I slammed the top of my head into the section between the eye's and snout and was rewarded by a crack I could feel and hear as his face collapsed under my assault. It was true it forced the fangs deeper into my arm and forced him to start struggling more, but it helped build some momentum for me.
Not letting him recover I repeated the head butt two more times, by the time I was done, his blood had mixed with mine on his face and gave him a read death mask, along with a caved in snout that was now useless for fighting and had to be effecting how well his brain was working. Letting out another primal scream, in part to prepare myself for the pain, I lifted one leg up and kicked him as hard as I could, surprisingly I felt something in his chest give way in the process of him skating back. He also ended up taking a hunk of my arm as a souvenir, but given how his face looked I guessed he couldn't control his jaw anymore. Making matters worse that little stunt had made the other hand useless to, I could still move it, but there was no way I could grab with it any more.
(Ok birdie,) trying to put myself in a pose that looked like I could still fight, (stay down and we'll forget this ever happened.) The only answer I got was from the look he gave me but it was enough, he wasn't going to stop, which meant I had to put him down hard. With a snarl I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me, my balance not quite what it should be, my mind drifting back to my exercises with my parents combat simulator, and while I wasn't sure I could do to, is was worth a shot.
His head was done for, and if I was right I'd crushed a few ribs, but that didn't stop him from kicking me with those killer legs, his target seemingly my head, to bad for him, I was ready. Shifting the bulk of my weight as best I could, which would've been hard under normal circumstances, I ducked down and spun my body while sliding in, my right leg pivoting while the left thrust out into a back kick when I was in range and delivering a perfect blow into his ribs that sent him up into the sky, a muted gurgling scream somehow escaping from him. With a grunt I ran after him, knowing that at any second he'd start to demorph and fix himself and then shift into a body I probably couldn't counter. Timing, precision, balance, control, they all came into play as he came closer, his shadow growing larger as he fell to me, at what I hoped was a right moment I fell into a summersault my feet rising over my head as he came in range and grabbed hold of his arm, my weight combined with his momentum and forced him into the concrete with a sickening thud. Not willing to stop though I hopped to my feet as best I could and body slammed him just to be on the safe side, his body being crushed under my weight.
Pulling myself off him, I looked down at the bloody mass he had become with a degree of horror. I knew I didn't have much time, he might not have been conscious but he was still breathing which meant at any moment he could wake up and demorph then we'd start this all over again. (I'm sorry birdie,) rubbing my hand against his face as best I could with the little control I had over it. (I'll get her, I'll make her pay, if you remember any of this, know I'm so sorry.)
With a tear in my eye I turned from him and loped to the building as best I could, fully intent on making that ghost pay and hoping Sam had left me something to get my hands on.
DP Style
"AAGGHHHH," the roar mingled with the sound of breaking glass as Fisto missed his mark of Val and hit the wall instead, the material not withstanding the force of the ghosts huge right arm.
"What is wrong with this situation," Val panted, her muscles screaming for her to stop and rest, something that wasn't an option. Nothing about this ghost made sense, he looked like he should be as easy win, he talked like he should be easy, but for some reason he was kicking her tail all over the place. His right arm was shattering anything it hit, he was keeping her away from her hover board so she couldn't out maneuver him, not to mention the other problem lifting her gun. She wasn't sure if it had been luck that lead into the office or if he'd herded her into it from the hall, either way it was severely limiting her options since she couldn't run away. With a grunt she rolled slipping to his side and firing only to watch him once more intercept the beam with his arm, the energy stream essentially fracturing on impact and going off in other directions seemingly harmless to the ghost but not to the humans who scrambled out of the way to avoid the smaller ricocheted blasts. "How does he do that," she moaned her mind going a thousand miles an hour as she looked for a way to drop him.
"Fisto say stop-stop hunt-hunt, so can go squish-squish," his right arm glowing sliver-white and punching the air, a shockwave coming off it that tore up the wall, floors, and the few windows that had somehow gotten off without being shattered by this point. With a whimper Val braced herself, holding her weapon in front of her, and took the blast straight on having learned there was no use trying to avoid it. The wave sent her sliding back, and later falling end over end as she tripped over some debris.
Coming to a sliding stop Val just stared at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating whether it was really worth getting up, a thought that didn't stay in her head long as her resolved steeled once more. "I don't stop, I don't get beaten by ghosts, and I don't care what it costs me you," pointing at the ghost as she stood up her voice a mix of a hiss and a rasp, "are going back to whatever afterlife spawned you."
"Ha-ha, hunt-hunt no hurt Fisto, Fisto king," charging at her his right arm held high and still glowing white to the point of almost blinding the girl.
"Fisto also needs a tutor," pointing her gun down and blowing a hole in the floor and slipping through it to the debris filled floor below as the ghost missed her by a narrow margin, his fist's impact sending bit the ceiling down on Val's head. "Ok that's a few extra seconds smart girl now what?"
The answer to her question came a moment later as he hit the floor and shattered it, covering the ghost hunter in building material. "Hunt-hunt no escapes, hunt-hunt go squish-squish," landing with a thud on the ground.
"I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME," dusting off the top of her head and running out into the hall a moment before the ghost could get to her, "AND WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST PHASE THROUGH LIKE NORMAL GHOSTS!"
"Oh-oh, not know?" looking at her with a perplexed gaze.
At the response she shook her head, "maybe I am fighting a chimp," disbelief tinting her words. Regardless she continued run down the hall, trying to gauge where everything should be above her, a plan born of desperation on the tip of her tongue. With him in hot pursuit she counted off her steps, and hoped she was right about this and started firing into the ceiling, keeping her ears open.
After a few moments she heard it, "YEAH, NO ONE SHOOTS AT JACK FENTON!" followed shortly by several blasts of weapons fire coming floor above them, at what Jack thought where his target should be, only to instead come down in the general vicinity of Fisto. Like with Val's Jacks shots where blocked by the ghosts large arm, something she had hoped would happen.
"Say 'so long specter'," the words coming out as Val fired her weapon off and catching the ghost in a cross fire and preventing him from blocking both attacks. The energy stream hit him dead in the chest and hurled him back several feet before his larger right foot carved a groove in the floor and stopped himself. Without a word Val moved in, knowing that if she hesitated she might not get another opening on the ghost. "CATCH," tossing the blaster at the ghost, everything riding on his reaction as he instinctively reached out and caught the weapon. Before he could even process the move the red clad girl was on him, with a leap she used her gun as a platform and palm thrust him in his the face, and used the recoil to spin into a heal kick into his throat, using the speed and falling her hand gripped her gun and pulled it from his grasp and fired off three blasts, one to the face and two to the body, before she hit the ground. With a light thud she landed in a crouch and swept the legs out from the dazed ghost bring him to the floor with a shake and followed up with a final blast to the head that pounded his body a bit further into the ground. "Go bye-bye fist-fist," she mocked pulling out a modified version of the Fenton Thermos and sucking him in and removing him from her life.
Off in the distance Jack was still firing off blasts from his gun at where he thought Val was to the amusement of the other hunter. "Hard to believe we were ever safe with him on the job," tapping a pad on her arm and summoning her hover board to her through the hole in the floor. "Now to find the lady calling the shots."
DP Style
"On a scale of one to ten this ranks about a fifty seven on the bad idea-o-meter," the words hushed as Sam looked through the small window leading to the studio of the station and seeing more than she wanted to. From what she could see there were at four ghosts that didn't look that impressive wandering around, but as she knew, what they looked like rarely had anything to do with their power. On top of them were seven humans, including one with graying hair that looked like a slight wind would knock him over. To top it all off was Danny still in ghost mode literally hovering around the overly dressed Spectra who was holding her temples and seemed to be in a great degree of pain.
"Where are the others," very worried that she didn't see Tobias and Mr. Fenton anywhere and knowing they, with Danny, would be the real threat in the fight. Taking a deep breath she ducked back out of the way of the door and pulled her gun, adjusting it to drop humans as well as ghosts, it might not have been as effective that way, but at least she knew it would stop the humans so she could focus on the ghosts with her melee weapons. "To bad that still leaves the walking zoo to deal with," the thought of fighting a bear or a tiger not helping her confidence level.
"Come on girl," tapping her palm against her head, "get it together everyone's counting on you, no pressure or anything." Taking on more quick look through the window and gauging her targets she made her move and kicked the door in, hoping the momentary surprise would be enough. In quick succession she brought down three of the humans and two of the ghosts before they came out of their stupor.
"STOP HER," Spectra roared, the pounding in her head growing worse as the order escaped her lips.
"Of course your luminosity," Danny flying after Sam, his hands glowing green with ectoplasm.
"Uh oh," the words slipping out on instinct while diving for the cameras, hoping if nothing else they provided a little cover and popping off a few more shots and taking out two more humans, like their companions they crumpled to the floor after being hit. "Ok I know this probably isn't going to work, but Danny it's me Sam, your best friend, don't do this."
"He isn't going to listen to you," Spectra sneered, "he belongs to me, Kill Her."
"Yes your ravishingness," throwing a blast of ectoplasm at Sam, only to miss as she wheeled a camera in it's path.
"This better not be one of those things where I have to kiss you to fix this, cause I'm not willing to go there," the goth ducking behind another camera as the half ghost hurled another blast of energy at her. "Great, no snappy repartee he may not be in there anymore, which means I don't have to hold back as much."
"Stop fighting this Sam I'll make it quick," as the halfa phased through a camera and cut the distance between them.
"How about no," snapping the whip forward the coil unwinding as it went and filling the area with a blue light and disrupting the shadows. Even though he wasn't tangible the whip had a marked reaction as it went through him, everywhere the whip hit that should've been flesh, or ectoplasm as the case was, crackled and small arcs of blue energy shooting through him. The effect caused him to shift in and out of phase, the whip partially materialized within him for a few moments before falling away and getting a scream of pain from Danny as he hit the floor.
"This isn't good," the seducing ghosts' eyes growing wide and she backed away from the black and purple clad girl as her champion fell to the ground, "the rest of you STOP HER!"
"Do you not know how to lose gracefully?" Sam sighed darting in around the cameras ready to finish off the last few ghosts and then set her sights on the ghostly premadonna. Pulling her gun she fired in the mock shrinks direction only to have her moment of triumph fell flat as a ghost appeared and took the shot intended for Spectra. A moment later several other ghosts appeared phasing from the walls and ceiling, the two she shot rising back up and one coming out of the old man each taking a position between Sam and their new master. "I've gotta learn to keep my mouth shut."
"Lose? Look around little girl, I have everything I want, I'm never going to let anyone take this away from me, not you, not your little partners, not even Walker. For the first time in my after life I have everything that should be mine and I'm never going back to what I was."
"Yeah I wouldn't go back to being a school counselor either," darting out from the bank of cameras and turning into a slide as her whip shot forward and caught the leg of a human like ghost who skin seemed to be melting. The reaction was automatic as the energy coursed thru him sending him into convulsions, but rather than pull back the goth jerked the weapon with all her might turning it into a flail and hitting the now entangled ghosts into two of the other phantoms, taking them both out of the fight.
"Come on," snapping the whip free and sending a cracking sound throughout the room, "I don't have all day." Her moment of confidence was cut short as a small ghost that had a mouth that looked like it belonged on a shark jumped out of the floor and bit into her wrist. "AARG," despite the appearance the fangs phased through the skin but still sent felt like they'd cut into flesh, and the resulting pain made her drop her weapon and cradle her arm, the ghost letting as so as his job was done.
"Not so tough after all are you," Penelope chided, once more relaxing in her chair, however despite her relaxed posture the look on her face spoke that was far from the truth and the ghostly equivalent of sweet poured down her face.
"If your going to sit on your butt you don't get to criticize," the quip more to try and raise her own spirits than hurt the overly feminine ghost.
"And your offending me," waving her fingers, a signal for her servants to move in.
At the on coming onslaught all she could do was whimper "help."
(You want it, you got it,) the thought speech followed by Jazz, in a now fully healed Purpleback gorilla body, punching in the door and sending it flying across the room and causing the ghosts to pause for a few moments. Looking at her fist, (not quite the entrance I was hoping for but it works.)
"Your timing is impeccable," the goth hitting the whip with her foot and catching it in her other hand and sheathing it then pulling her saber from her belt, both ends igniting with orange energy.
(Would've been here sooner, but the bird didn't want to go down,) lumbering into the fight and taking a swing at one of the ghosts, her meaty arm passing right through it as it went intangible. (Right, forgot about that,) directing her thoughts to Sam, (remember what I wanted you to get, throw it at me.)
"You sure," Sam grunting as she jerked her body around the lower beam of energy passing through one of the ghosts and causing it to vanish. Where it went Sam didn't know and at the moment she didn't really care.
(Just do it,) as a ghost that looked like he could've been a body builder uppercut her with a blow that sent her into an overhead light that coursed electricity through Jazz that sent shards of glass raining down on those below.
"JAZZ ARE YOU…"
The words not finishing as the other girl screamed out mentally while emitting a primal roar, (NOW SAM!) The hunter didn't have to be told twice as she pulled the small container out of her belt and chucked it at Jazz, not sure what it would do. The moment it hit her slightly charred furred body the canister exploded in a cloud of light green smoke that slightly obscured her from sight. She didn't stay that way for long however as she barreled out of the smoke towards the muscled ghost. The gorilla's roar growing louder as she punched at him again, as before he went intangible, only this time it didn't help as Jazz's punch still connected, the full power of the ape's body sending it hurtling back to the wall and, like with Sam's staff, it evaporated.
"Very nice," the black clad girl side stepping one of attacker and ducked from another in the sky as she was double teams. From below she stabbed back and up into the ghosts groin region sticking him like a roast pig, then recoiling and stabbing up hitting the flying spook in what would've been the breast bone and taking them out of the fight. "Which one of your parents inventions is that?"
(It's not one, I stole Tucker's deodorant formula,) elbowing the closest ghost to her in the face.
"Don't tell him that, he'll want to use you as a spokes model," blocking a ghost's ecto blast with her staff and back flipping forward cutting the beam through another.
(Yeah because everyone knows gorillas make the best commercial models,) a laugh ringing through her thoughts as she began to enjoy herself. Rolling back on to her hands and thrusting her feet out, essentially palm thrusting two ghosts descending on her.
"What about that commercial with the luggage, that one was cool," doing the splits in the middle of the room as a ghost that appeared to be made of pink fire just missing her. "This is on principle pinkie," throwing the staff at the ghost, the weapon going right through him then bouncing off a wall, then a rafter over head and back into her hand as she jumped onto her feet.
(Ok now your just showing,) elbow thrusting behind her and taking out a ghost that doing a bad job of being stealthy.
"What can I say, I'm beginning to see what he sees in this, it's actually kind of fun," leaning the staff against her shoulder and looking around most of the ghosts having been defeated.
(All things considered that was pretty easy,) taking a typical gorilla stance.
"You had to say that didn't you," Sam hissed pulling her weapon off her shoulder.
(Why what's the problem?)
"Ghost's have a really funny sense of timing is all."
"DANIEL HEAR MY COMMANDS," rising to her feet and lifting her arms her skin growing pale as the sweat continued to flow down her face, "YOUR EMPRESS COMMANDS YOU TO RISE."
"Told you so," Sam snapped shooting Jazz a dirty look while turning to face Danny, not sure how to handle him at the moment given the slightly out of it expression.
"STRIKE THEM DOWN, RELEASE THE FULL BREADTH OF YOU POWER UPON THEM, YOUR QUEEN SO ORDERS!" At her words his eyes grew all the brighter to the point of being blinding with licks of flames rising off them. His hands ignited in green ectoplasm, the energy traveling up all the way up to his elbows as he became a raging inferno of green light.
"As you wish my queen," the inside of Danny's mouth glowing green as well. All around him licks of flame were leaping off his body leaving a trail of fire underneath him with the promise of going out of control in not contained. Energy literally seemed to be pouring out of him like someone had turned a facet on.
(Oh)
"Crap," the pair ending each others sentences.
(Your right they have a funny sense of timing,) the great ape backing half a step up.
"Make way ghost scum, the best ghost hunter in…" Val not finishing her battle cry as Danny turned and fired his out of control energy at her. The blast catching her by surprise, lifted her off her board and sent her hurtling back through the broken door and into the wall, her hover board meanwhile continuing it's flight and heading straight for the girls.
(If we live I'm never talking again,) Jazz howled and dove out of the way of the board while Sam jumped up and rolled along the length of the metal surface while it past over her and collided with a teleprompter that sent it end ricocheting back in towards the trio.
"Great I'm in a game of pinball," Sam snapped and ducked down as the board sailed overhead, going where ever it wanted to with Val no longer in control. Grabbing a quick glance to the other hunter, Sam guessed by the way her head was moving she wasn't totally out of it, which meant she was probably the best chance of getting it stopped, but if they weren't careful she's find out about Jazz. With a deep breath and dodging back to avoid Danny as he stormed over to her in a fireball and punched into the floor, melting it as soon as he connected.
"RED," Sam barked out, her eye's on Danny, "can you get that board under control?" Only earning a small moan from the girl, she shifted her attention, "WHITE, stop the board and if you can try and stomp the fire out before the building burns down around us and do it quietly," adding an accent on the last word in the hopes she got the message to keep her thought speech private from Val.
(Got it,) ducking down as her brother released an ectoburst the size of his head. If she were human it would've worked but with her immense size, the blast still connected with her back and tore a layer of skin and fur off her and forced a scream of pain out of her mouth.
"Back off phantom," Sam barked tossing her staff into the air, the weapon spinning at it went and pulled her gun, her still hurt hand flying over the control and firing a blast that by all right could've stunned an elephant at him, the blast however never hit as Danny waved his hand and materialized a burning ectoshield in front of himself that held off the blast. "Oh this is going to be a long fight," sheathing the gun as the staff fell back into her hand.
"The empress say's die," lifting his hands into the air an ectoplasm burst growing between his hands that looked more like raging ball of barely controlled green fire that was about the same size of a toaster.
"Oh my…when did you learn to do that," a slight giddy feeling coming over her as a surrealness began to flow over her. With a grunt she ran as fast as she could away from Danny, and being followed by in turn as he spun in the air, the fireball still being trained on her and growing larger between his hands.
Away from Danny the hover board continued to bounce off whatever it hit, walls, floor, ceiling, the equipment, nothing stopped it and it's movements continued to grow more erratic. A heavy breathing Jazz was on it's trail, trying as best she could to capture the board, wishing she could be doing something more constructive and help Sam. (Come on,) she snapped to herself diving with all her energy at the board, her fingers brushing the metal but still not managing to get a grip despite her strength and landed with a skid on the floor.
Before she had a chance to get up the board did a double rebound and came back towards her. (Oh this is not my day,) watching it come closer and not willing to waste an other chance to catch it and stood up directly into it's path. Rather than bounce off her the metal board cut into her stomach but none the less stopped even if it did keep trying to go forward with the strength of it's thrusters.
(Ok now what,) the glare of Danny's fireball once more catching her attention, the concentrated energy now the size of a small car and still growing. (That works,) as she saw Sam trying to get out of the way only to remain in the line of fire regardless of were she went. Gripping the board with both hands she pulled it out of her gut and hobbled over to Danny as quietly as she could.
"SLAVE," Spectra barked in an attempt to warn him but it was to late.
With a grunt Jazz hit her brother with the board putting all the strength she could muster into it and knocking him out of the sky. Without anyone to hold it the ectoball slipped from his grasp and hit the floor, the energy melting through and slipping to the floor below, a process it repeated through each subsequent floor, each time growing smaller till it was virtually nothing by the time it hit the basement.
(Sorry bro,) the move making her wince as the board continued to rage in her hands.
"RISE PHANTOM, RISE AND SERVE ME," Spectra roared, pounding her fist into a wall, lines of pain evident on her face as she seemed to be straining against some kind of force.
With a groan he did just that, his fire now a great deal smaller, but still more than he'd ever manifested before. (Danny, it's me,) Jazz grunted (your sister, you have to fight this, you ha…,) her words not coming out as he back handed her and knocking her to the ground, her fur now burning with green fire while sliding across the floor and into a small burning patch, the board once more coming free and bouncing off the ceiling. With a snarl that was more primal than anything his sister had managed that day he turned to Sam who was trying to catch her breath. Lifting his hand he released another blast of energy, only to have it intercepted as the board came straight down and took the hit sending it sliding across the floor and to Sam's feet. With a snap Danny's hands ignited once again, ready to turn Sam to ash.
"I knew it, I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE TRUSTED," Val screamed and fired off several rounds at Danny, her senses finally returning to her. The attack was enough as he turned and fired the blast at Val, the girl in red easily dodging the attack, "gunna have to do better than that ghost boy."
"Die," firing off more blasts, the fire around him growing smaller. Off in her chair, Spectra collapsed, lines of pain running over her from a source she couldn't figure out. Her head screamed in pain even as she watched her champion attack and serve her, doing his best to kill the girl in red.
Coughing Sam looked at the world around her, never having realized just what Danny were capable of, and wondering if he himself even knew. She knew he was growing weaker, she also knew with Val in the fight and the board under control she could strike directly at Spectra now. She knew she couldn't make it directly, she was tired, and there was to much open area between herself and the ghost woman, but that didn't mean she didn't have options, her eyes on the hover board. Putting her staff back on her belt and sliding to the board on her knees she scanned the vehicle, as far as she could tell nothing was really wrong with it, but she couldn't be sure.
"Ok, you were built to hunt ghosts, so how about you hunt the right ones for a change," flipping it right side up and stepping on it. "Ok how do I turn this on," rubbing the back of her neck and tapping her foot on it, only to have to start with a jerk and jump into the air and forward. "Wow," the word coming out quietly in spite of her shock. Hurtling forward she pulled her gun and fired, the blast intercepted by one of Danny's blasts right in front of the ghost woman, the impact knocking her hair around and making the pain on Spectra's face even more obvious.
"You will not hurt her," Danny snapped the light in his mouth having gone out.
(Shut it bro,) as Jazz punched him as lightly as she could in the ribs, knocking him back. Jolting forward Danny grabbed her arm and spun half way around in midair, his face now pointed at the ceiling, and pitched her forward over his head into Val, sending both to the ground.
"DANNY STOP HER," Penelope howled as she fell to the ground on her knees, the pain in her head increasing ten fold as she willed Danny to her side. He bolted over to her as fast as he could fly, getting between Sam and Spectra, his energy growing in his hand.
"You will not pass," releasing the blast at her, only to miss as she ducked down, and flattered her body against the surface of the body like a luge rider and sailing under his hand, the look on his face almost worth the pain she was going through. Forcing herself to a crouch she fired her gun at the seducing ghost, the blasts however never connected as red haired ghost collapse, the pain from her head going to intense. She fell face down, a small trickle of ectoplasm escaping from her nose as though it were blood and crept a along the ground forming a small river on the floor. With her fall came a return to awareness of all the males under her power, each one coming out of a daze the she spirit had created.
"Ok, that was weird," both Sam and Danny speaking in unison, out of reaction they both turned to stare at each other. Before the half ghost could respond Sam was on top of him and kissing him through her mask, his fire thankfully having extinguished.
"Whoa, whoa," the half ghost pushing her off him then pulling her back as a wave of fatigue washed over him and threatened to revert him back to his human form. "Sam easy," the words making him pause a look of shock coming over him. "Sa…"
The rest of his thought not coming out as she covered his mouth, "we have company," tilting her head over to Val and Jazz who were slowly untangling themselves.
In a whisper "right," then louder, "thanks for helping me, craze masked woman I've never met before."
Through clenched teeth she hissed, "smooth, she won't possibly see through that," and rolling off him.
"I'm not buying that ghost," Val firing several blats of pink energy.
"Told you so," pushing off him while her shot the other way and missed the blasts.
(Ok that's enough from you,) Val not hearing Jazz's thoughts as she grabbed the ghost hunters arms and pulled them behind her and forcing her into a wall.
"Hey what do y…" the words stopping as Jazz let go of one arm and grabbed the red clad girls head while flinging her body with the other arm and sent her flying through the hole made by Danny's ecto energy ball, the hunters visor and bits of her mask still in the ape woman's grasp.
(Sorry was that to much?) crushing the eye piece in her hand and letting the piece's fall to the ground.
Waving her hand in the 'sorta' motion, "a little over the top for my taste but it works," slipping over to the hole to check on Val, the girl already on her feet and glaring up at the other girl. "Yeah she's not happy with you," looking back at Jazz.
(Am I really suppose to care,) then turning her thoughts to one person, (Tobias if you can hear me give me a sign, I don't care what it is, just tell me your ok.
(As long as you've known me, have I ever been ok?)
(Good to hear your thoughts birdie,) opening her thoughts to Sam and Danny, (the rat eating birds still in one piece.)
(Why do I get the feeling that was an insult,) his thoughts ringing out to the three.
(Take it how you want it,) the redhead demorphing back to her human form.
"So someone want to explain exactly what's going on," as the half ghost scratched the back of his head.
"Another time, another place," Sam sighed picking up the hover board and putting it under her arm, "and I'm going to be taking this, no reason for her to have all the fun,"
Holding the bridge of his nose, "I don't want to know what's been going on do I?"
"Probably not," Jazz flicking some hair out of her face as it lost it's last vestiges of white and returned to red.
"Ok just checking," folding his arms, "just wanted to…"
His words stopping as Val interrupted started screaming, "YOU MUST THINK WE'RE ALL STUPID DON'T YOU DANNY, BUT I FIGURED IT OUT, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, AND I KNOW JUST HOW DANGERIOUS YOU ARE NOW. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY NEVER HURT ANYONE AGAIN!"
"Oh crap," Danny and Sam speaking in unison.
"So much for bringing her into the fold," Sam snapped looking back at the hole as a grappling hook fired out of it.
"Ok I'll just expl…," never finishing is words as Val leapt out of the hole, her eye's clearly visible through the torn mask, her gun shifting between the half ghost and the girl in black and purple.
"No more lies, no more tricks Danny Fenton, and to think I liked you, trusted you, and all this time you were just using me, ME, that's going to be your last mistake ever," the tip of her weapon glowing pink as she prepared to fire.
"Um can some body help me," the new voice making Val jump and pull her shot, the beam going just over Danny's right shoulder and Val spun the weapon now pointed at the new comer. Her eyes like those of the others going wide as they saw the source. Before them was Danny Fenton, albeit a naked Danny who was wrapped up in the state flag in an attempt to hide himself. Before anyone could react his blush spread further, "this is going to sound weird, but does anyone know where were my pants are," holding the flag a bit closer to himself.
"You there…him…but…naked…NO," Val spinning around and holding the gun on the white haired Danny, "how can you be there if your him and he's over there but you're here when you should be over there."
"She gets articulate when she's upset," a smug look on her face under her mask.
"Shut up," the gun being pointed at Sam, "I just need to figure this out."
"Let me guess this either has something to do with my parents or ghosts, or both," the black haired Danny asked and jumped back as the girl in red pointed the gun at him. "OK whoa, put that down, I've been shot enough by my parents stuff to know that sucks."
"DANNY," his father's wording ringing down the hall as the large man bounded towards him, bruises beginning to form on his face. "What are you doing her, is your mother with you, your sister, no it was that ghost wasn't it," coming to a skid next to him and jumping forward and pointing the weapon into the hole and beginning to fire without looking. "EAT THIS GHOST SCUM NO ONES MAKES MEAT PUPPETS OF JACK FENTON AND HIS SON!"
The blasts created the perfect cover for the white haired Danny as he grabbed Sam who still had her hand on the hover board. "I usually don't help strange women with guns, but I'm making an exception here," pulling her through the floor before his dad could shoot them. On the other side Val had already spring boarded away from the fire, the momentary loss of her sense gone in the wake of saving her skin and jumped down the hole she's just come out of.
After a few seconds Jack finished firing, only a still passed out Spectra still in the room, "Yeah you all better run," hefting his gun in the air and bounding over to the ghost, "you ok lady."
"Um dad," Danny coughed carefully walking over to him through the torn up floor, "I think that's the ghost responsible for all this."
"She is?" looking back at her and noticing the glow, "SHE IS," pointing her gun down at her, and flipping a switch on it. "EAT FENTON PEELER GHOST SCUM!"
"DAD WAIT," Danny not getting to her fast enough and watching the man fire the gun, but instead of being pealed nothing happened for a second as he shot her in the chest only a second later to be sucked inside herself and vanish.
"Oh right," scratching the back of his head, "left peals, right sucks them back where they came from, have top talk to your mother about making alterations to he weapons and not labeling them."
"So much for getting answers from her," Danny muttered.
"That's my boy," jumping over to him, whatever embarrassment he had felt vanishing, "we should've pumped her for information, the Fenton Stockade still needs a test run on ghosts. Ah well we'll get another chance boy we always do," putting his meaty arm around his shoulder and squeezing it. "So where is your mother?"
"I don't know, I'm not totally sure how I got here," pulling away from him, the blush growing redder.
"Oh right that ghost made us come something about her….oh Maddie's not going to be happy about this," as he realized he had come to her because she was so attracted to her, "we better get her some flowers on the way home, maybe some chocolate too, and explosives, defiantly some explosives. And you need to bye something for Sam, never to late to say your sorry to your gir…"
"DAD!" he barked glaring at the man.
"Oh right your still in denial," putting his arm around him and walking him out, "and where are your pants anyway?"
DP Style
"How did this happen," Val hissed as she tore down the photo of Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, "I know it was him, everything fit perfectly, they even look alike." With a snarl she balled it up and tossed it over her shoulder and into crash can, "I can't believe I almost…AARRG," punching the bag in her room, the heavy piece of equipment gently swinging back and forth from the force of the blow. "That thing isn't Danny, I don't know what it is, or why it looks like him but it can't be Danny, I can't believe it actually made me doubt him," kicking the bag and making it swing even more wildly.
Flopping down on her bed she stole a glance at her equipment, a good chunk of it was trashed, between the falls, the monkey manhandling her, and the fight her stuff was in worse shape than when she's gone toe to toe with the ghost army. "Looks like I'm out of the job for a while anyway, it might be for the best if I screwed up that bad," sighing deeply and leaning her head onto her pillow.
After a moment exhaustion over took her and pulled the pillow closer to her body, somehow getting it away from her head and pulling it next to her body and clutching it tightly. A tear ran down her cheek as the thoughts of what she might've done haunted her dreams.
"Oy, this girl sure knows how to ruin a night," the disembodied voice whispered coming out of the floor.
"Your telling me, poker all-stars was on tonight, why this couldn't wait I'll never know," another answered him in an equally hushed tone.
"Then lets just drop this off so we can go already," a third squawked, his voice making Val turn in her bed as her restless sleep continued.
"Shut your beak," the first ghost vulture hissed materialized in the room followed by the other two, between them holding a large package in their talons. "The boss said deliver this to the girl, the last thing we need is this crazy ghost hunter coming after us."
"Yeah we have enough problems with the flame'n fur ball, we don't need to add more."
"Either way, we're here, it's here, lets go," turning his attention to the window and sailing through it, the others right behind him.
The package it self was in a plain brown wrapper, with a small card Vlad's corporate logo on it and a small message:
For a brave girl
Facing a new world
A little upgrade
Good luck
V.M.
DP Style
"So you have no idea what was all about do you?" Tucker asked biting into a nasty burger looking over at Sam who was pocking at her salad.
She sighed and gave him a dirty look, "again that's relative," putting the fork down while the wind kicked up a breeze and sent her hair shifting this way in that. After everything she'd been though that day she liked being able to sit on the strangely deserted park in her normal clothing with the others and relax a little, the on set of dusk giving the world a calming glow.
"Hey as long as it's over that's all I care about," Tobias munching on a fry. "Do you know how incredibly wrong that I'm getting mind controlled more here than I was fight the brain stealing aliens."
"Well that's something I never thought I'd ever hear," Jazz letting her straw slip out of her mouth.
"The scary part is him saying that doesn't seem weird in the slightest," the girls sharing a high hive across the table.
"Still what was this even about," Tucker's hand waving in the faces of the girls, "she takes control of almost every guy in the city and doesn't actually do anything with them. There has to be something we're missing, there has to be, she wouldn't be doing this unless she had a plan."
"Well if someone hadn't let her get sucked into the Ghost Zone," Danny barked pointing a french-fry at his sister.
"Hey that was not my fault," putting the cup down, "I had no control over the situation, there's no real way to stop dad, and oh yeah I was naked."
"No I was naked, you were stealing my body!" the mental image flashing in Sam's as Danny said it made her blush. "What was that revenge, I see you mostly naked you become me naked?"
"Danny that's disgusting," throwing a french-fry at his head and watching it bounce off.
"What were you even doing with my body anyway," pointing at her and rubbing his head, his eye's glowing green as he made the accusation.
"It was an accident, I thought I might've absorbed it when I woke up from the ghost induced one sided mind switch thing I had with Tobias. But I wasn't sure, and considering Val seemed to know who you were I thought a might deniability would be a good thing for you."
"But I was naked, you two aren't naked when you do it," pointing at the morphers.
Tobias shook his head, "as I explained to you, you have to be wearing clothes to manifest clothes."
"She was wearing clothes."
"Each human body has to be wearing clothing you can't pick and choose what wears what, it doesn't work that way."
"I just want to know why I don't have any powers," the redhead then taking a sip from her straw.
"What," all eye's on her.
"Come on like you wouldn't have tried the second you were alone if you were in my shoes."
"You can't go ghost," Sam lifting her eyebrow.
"Thank you, it's nice to know she doesn't get everything," Tucker lifting his hands to the sky.
Danny ignored him, "you sure sis, I mean you are me now right?"
"I'm not really you, and if I can I don't know how to trigger it, and believe me I wanted to disappear the entire ride home with dad. Father son talks should not happen between a father and a daughter."
"So don't need to hear that," Danny pointing at her, "still don't know what you can't do it, I mean you should right, that is how that things goes. You touch them, you become them, you get everything they get right?"
"Not really no," the bird turned human shook his head. "We absorb DNA, that's it, as long as whatever we're acquiring doesn't have a genetic defect we'll be fine. We could absorb someone with chickenpox's or missing an arm but when we become them we'll look totally normal, mean while their still a one armed spotty dude. So it's possible whatever you have isn't effecting your genetics, it's also possible because this is a ghost thing and it's not transferable."
"Yeah but you said ghosts are like the second cousin of whatever it is your doing."
"No your sister said that, and just because I'm the distant cousin of a duck it doesn't mean I can swim, it doesn't work that way."
"BUT WHAT WAS THIS ALL ABOUT!" Tucker barked and stood up.
Sam grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him down, "I DON'T KNOW, STOP ASKING!"
"But she had to be doing something, she couldn't have just been gathering men around her for no good reason."
"She's a beauty obsessed wacko, she's basically Paulina with super powers, how much of a plan do you think she really had? She probably just wanted people to worship her, I mean come on with the way everyone talked who was under her power it seemed like she just wanted people at her feet doing what she wanted, and probably Danny to be her slave."
"So basically it was Paulina with super powers," Sam and Jazz sharing another high five.
"Ok how do you even know about Paulina," Danny hissed at his sister.
"You're my brother I make it my business to know everything that goes on in your life. Besides she's been dating guys in every grade, there's not a girl at Casper high that doesn't know her, and there's not a one of us that trust her."
"That I did not know," Sam leaning in closer.
"Guy's focus," Tucker waving his hands again, "what's happened today?"
"I don't know, I only remember about fifteen percent of it, and that's mostly gorilla fists," the transformed hawk glaring at the redhead.
"I said I was sorry birdie"
"Better than me," Danny growled, "most of what I remember is telling Spectra I love her, and I still want to know why my back hurt's so much." At that his sister looked away, not really wanting to tell him what had happened.
"At least you weren't passed out on a floor the entire time, except for the times I can remember your mother poking me with something, and your missing the point, why did she do this?"
"Here's an idea go grab the Specter Speeder and head into the ghost zone and ask her because I. Don't. Know."
"Well I'm just asking," Tucker no longer meeting Sam's gaze.
"Ok how about something you can answer," the question on Danny's lips that everyone wanted to hear, "where did you get the weapons, and why are you stealing Val's hover board?"
"Ok the board is easy, you get to fly," pointing at Danny, "you get to fly, and you get to fly," pointing at Jazz and Tobias, "meanwhile I'm stuck on the ground and I'm tired of it, this will let me fly."
"Oh ok," Danny rolling his hands, "and you aren't worried about her, you know, having some kinda tracking device in it," going deadly serious at the end.
"Already thought of that, it's taken care of, you'd be surprised the things I have access to."
"And can you even ride that thing, or repair it for that matter?"
"Again you'd be surprised the things I have access to."
"Still, it's stupid and dangerous…"
"And I don't see you getting on Jazz's back for breaking Val's mask," folding her arms.
"Hey don't bring me into this," pulling her straw out and pointing it at them, bits of soda hitting them in the face. "That thing let her see birdie and I," waving the stray between the two morphers, "I'm just trying to keep us safe, if we're lucky her replacements might not have the glitch that let's her see our energy signature."
"Can't really argue with that," Tobias shrugging.
"And if you'd hurt her doing that?" her brother's eyes tacking on a slight glow.
"It wouldn't have been intentional, and it's not like she didn't start this by firing the first shot at anything she doesn't understand."
"Points for the girl that can now bench press half a car."
"Whoa I can do that now," Jazz looking at the older boy.
"Ok not a big car, but yeah,"
"Oh I could've killed those people," running her fingers through her hair.
"Yeah you could've, hence why I keep saying you need to train…"
His words trailing off to Danny's ears as he pulled Sam and Tucker slightly aside, "ok we lost those two but it this case I think it's for the best. Sam where did you get the gear because I know you didn't get them from my parents."
"Ok you know I'm rich right…."
DP Style
Penelope hung in the air, her legs crossed as she continued to slowly scroll through the tome that had put in this mess, as before as had no real idea what she was looking for but she knew something was wrong. Her beauty had given her great power, but also a great weakness and she needed to know what had truly happened to her before moving forward. She'd made the mistake of road testing her powers without understanding them, something she wasn't about to do again.
"Stupid and impatient," she muttered under her breath, something she'd been doing since waking up back in the Ghost Zone. Out of fear and confusion she'd returned to the same place it had all begun, the candles still melted to the floor, burn marks still adorning the walls, the artifacts still scorched. "Power, like beauty, must be understood to utilize properly, I won't make that mistake again, I can't believe I made it this time, I should've been better, more disciplined. But as they say you can learn more from failure than you can from victory," slipping back into school counselor mode, "but victory is so much more rewarding," shaking her head, her hair flowing down and framing her face.
"It has to be here somewhere," flipping the page and absorbing everything at said as best she could, "it has to be, they wouldn't put this spell down without the side effects."
"This isn't a side effect Penelope," Bertrand's word making her lose her control over her flight for a moment.
"Then what is it," looking his way a little shocked that the green gelatinous ghost was wearing a blind fold and holding a book, "and why are you wearing that."
"It did exactly what it was suppose to do," floating over to her, being guided by the sound of her voice and giving her the manuscript that looked nearly as old as the one Penelope held. "Open to the marked page, I think you'll understand."
Lifting her eyebrow in curiosity over the ghosts behavior she none the less did as he asked, the page filling with the image of a ghostly woman who's beauty was indescribable. In many ways she looked like Penelope now did, yet at the same time was so much more. Quickly scanning through the text, unlike the other book it read more like a encyclopedia describing in great detail what the image was and what it did. "I'm not sure I understand Bertrand, what are you telling me?"
"That's you now Penelope, you're not a normal ghost anymore your a Siren now," his words hitting her in the chest as strong as any physical blow.
With a thud she hit the ground unable to control her flight anymore, "are you serious," all the stories she'd ever heard of them both in the living world and ghostly realm passing through her mind.
"Completely," nodding his head, "everything matches, the mind blowing beauty, the ability to control any man in you presence, even the pain you complained of."
"What," looking back at the page looking for that section.
"It is the price you pay for your power, you may control any man who sees and hears you, how I'm not sure but you do, but for each of them your mind comes under a great stress. Each of them will do as you say to the best of their ability, some even tapping into powers they didn't know they had, even to the point of burning themselves out, but to push them to that limit adds even more stress on you. Where this stress comes from the book doesn't say, but it makes it clear the more under your power the greater the weight in your mind till your finally unable to support it and it overwhelms you."
"So I noticed," rubbing her temples.
"It also says it can be controlled, but how I'm not sure, but it's clear you weren't doing so, everyone…."
"….simply became my puppet, so I was beginning to piece together. In any case it's an impressive range, to control that many, both living and dead, with a limit like that I may not need to worry."
"It also said that no Siren ever controlled more than five ghost or two humans at any time despite their powers to enslave entire communities of ghosts…."
"Fools," folding her book under her arm and floating off.
"….BECAUSE it had a detrimental effect on their well being. It said that to control more than those numbers for more than twelve hours would result in a horrible effect on the Siren, the loss of their beauty, the end of their very existence. Had you continued Penelope you would've burned yourself out, become nothing more than a burnt out husk incapable of even moving under your own power. If that's true I'm not sure, but to abuse your power is dangerous especially since we don't know it's true limits, or how to control it," moving over to her, guided by the gentle swish of her skirt and reached for her hand and missed only to have the woman take it for him, a small smile on her lips.
"What would I do without you Bertrand," a small tear running down her cheek as her body stiffened from learning how close she had come to destroying herself and vowing to take control of herself and her new abilities before making another move.
"You'll never have to know," reaching up and stroking her face in an attempt to comfort the woman even if he couldn't look at her.
Author's notes.
Why did I do this, well a lot of factor, 1. I like stories where the good guys have no real idea what's going on, they go in, they try and fix it, but in the end they have no clue what just went on. 2. I like it when the villains don't even know what's going on, Spectra's doing all this crap, she doesn't know how, she doesn't care. 3. I wanted to do a story that brought the girls out, and focused less on Tobias, granted he was still a big part but he was by no means the star this time around. I may not have really done that but that was the attempt.
Yes I'm slowly forming Sam into Danny's partner, and surprisingly the show ends up supporting some of the leaps I made when we found out Sam was in better shape than the guys. I'm just taking that a few steps further and expanding on what I did in Ch. 8
If your a glutton for punishment Spectras spell actually spells things out, I don't know what anymore since I lost the master translation, but it does spell something out
Yes Tucker is kinda falling by the way side, but I do have plans to make him big in later chapters
Yes expect and upgraded Val in the future, Vlads been doing something with all the data he's been gathering.
Provided the wave of inspiration lasts I have 2 possible chapters (one is big coughclockworkcough , one is small coughdashcough) I want to do before kicking off a chapter I've wanted to do for a while but couldn't without the proper set up, and said story has significant changes for the other chapters
Please R&R (I have no idea why this is at the end, by all right it should be at the top, asking you to read at this point is kinda stupid isn't it?)
